Information of Prezista® (darunavir) 150 mg delisting

October 13, 2020

From 1 November 2020, Prezista® (darunavir) 150 mg tablets, used in combination with other antiretroviral agents for HIV treatment, will be discontinued for supply in Australia and removed from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

This delisting may affect HIV treatment-experienced paediatric patients aged 6 years and older – where Prezista® (darunavir) 150 mg strength is typically used in combination treatment.

The pharmaceutical provider, Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd (‘Janssen’), make note that the discontinuation of the 150 mg dosage form does not impact on the supply of the 600 mg and 800 mg tablet strengths.

Therefore, if you are someone (or working with persons) who will be affected with this change, we strongly encourage you to start consulting with your healthcare professional (prescribing S100 physician or treatment officer).

Related links

Accessing HIV treatments during COVID-19

April 30, 2020

Note: This circulation further updates a communication from 3 April 2020 — Managing community concerns about ARV supply: The importance of consistent HIV health sector messaging

Australia still has ample supplies of all HIV medications

The pharmaceutical companies who provide antiretroviral medications in Australia would like to reassure people living with HIV (PLHIV) that there are still healthy supplies of HIV treatments in the country. What’s more, they do not anticipate any disruption to supply in the near future.

PLHIV are encouraged to keep ordering their medications as usual and to keep taking them as prescribed. People with HIV should not skip doses or share medication with friends who are worried about their own supply.

Gilead is providing free postage of medications

In order to avoid going out, PLHIV can now have their HIV treatments posted to them at home by asking their doctor to forward scripts directly to the pharmacy (by email or fax).

Most pharmacies are dispensing the full script (4 or 6 months worth) but only providing 2 months supply at first, and then posting the next lot out at the appropriate time. A few pharmacies are only dispensing one month’s supply at first, but also providing the rest by post.

PLHIV are encouraged to request this postal service if it isn’t offered.

Any pharmacist can access free prepaid post bags by contacting Gilead Sciences in their Melbourne offices on (03) 9272 4400.

ViiV and Gilead expand Compassionate Access for PLHIV stuck in Australia

There are many PLHIV who are residents in Australia but are not eligible for a Medicare card and so are unable to access subsidised HIV treatments through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Some of these PLHIV are on Temporary Visas and return to their home countries regularly to fill their HIV prescriptions. But this is impossible at the moment. Which is why Australian pharmaceutical companies have expanded their Compassionate Access Schemes to allow people who are stuck in the country to get access to HIV treatments.

PLHIV in this situation are encouraged to talk to any GP who specialises in HIV (an HIV s100 prescriber) or any doctor at a Sexual Health Clinic. The doctor will contact the relevant pharmaceutical company who supplies the particular treatment and, if approved, will provide them with two months supply free of charge.

Download this Sector Release 'Accessing HIV treatments during COVID-19' [PDF]

Treatment Outreach Network 2020 meeting held online during COVID-19 restrictions

April 29, 2020

NAPWHA’s Treatment Outreach Network – a membership of professionals from Australian State and Territory peer-based organisations and AIDS Councils, held their annual formal meeting via video conferencing during this time of COVID-19 restrictions.

Hosted and facilitated by NAPWHA, the network work together to optimise the overall wellbeing of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and those affected by HIV, by providing a high standard of information and care on issues of health and treatments for HIV.

Two video conference calls were held on 8 and 15 April 2020 to hold initial roundtable discussion regarding disruptions to frontline services and responses to the impact of COVID19. A third video call hosted various presenters speaking on themed subjects, including Dr Elizabeth Crock, Vikas Parwani, Dr Darren Russell, and Associate Professor Edwina Wright. Video recordings of these sessions are featured below.

Access COVID-19 updates and information

Referral pathways to PLHIV services and Nurse Practitioner community practicing

Dr Liz Crock (HIV Clinical Nurse Consultant) provided members with a question and answer (Q&A) session that allows members to better understand the referral processes and navigating social services for ancillary care arrangements for clients living with HIV.

Download the TON Meeting summary with Dr Liz Crock [PDF]

Government Funded Income Support during COVID-19: Who’s eligible and who’s left behind

Vikas Parwani (Solicitor of The HIV/AIDS Legal Centre – HALC) provided members with a presentation on the delivery of current information on welfare service supports.

Download the presentation slides Government Funded Income Support during COVID 19: Who’s eligible and who’s left behind [PDF]

Clinical supports for PLHIV during COVID-19 including telehealth and CovidSafe app

Dr Darren Russell (Director of Sexual Health, Cairns Hospital) provided members a presentation and Q&A about clinical supports that are being put into place to enable people living with HIV (PLHIV) to better access services and understand the current situation in relation to COVID-19.

  • Could you give us some of your thinking on the [Australian Government’s] COVID Safe Tracking app launched on 26 April 2020 and people living with HIV – e.g. public health benefits versus privacy concerns?
  • Do you see the COVID Safe Tracking app being used in [workplace setting] as a [mandatory] occupational health and safety tool?
  • Is it possible that those protection laws may change down the line? Who is going to ask permission from you to access your information?
  • Could you tell us a bit about Telehealth from the clinical perspective? What’s working, what’s not? Will we in Australia be seeing it stick around?
  • What privacy and confidentiality measures are put into place for people sending data and information in through Telehealth platforms (e.g. video calls, SMS?)
  • Are numbers of people presenting at clinics and HIV-STI notifications going down or changing during this period?

Current data on COVID-19 and how it applies to PLHIV

Associate Professor Edwina Wright (Head of HIV Prevention Service, Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University) provided members a presentation and Q&A about the most current data on COVID-19 and how it applies to PLHIV, their treatment and long-term health.

Edwina is the Chair of ASHM’s Taskforce on BBVs, Sexual Health and COVID-19 was established on 20 March 2020. It provides a timely opportunity for the BBV and sexual health sectors to discuss the scientific, clinical, BBV and sexual health service delivery and social implications of COVID-19, and provides consistent and evidence-based messaging to the health workforce, sector partners and community.

About the NAPWHA Treatment Outreach Network

The Treatment Outreach Network (TON) is a network of professionals working together to optimise the overall wellbeing of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and those affected by HIV, by providing a high standard of information and care on issues of health and treatments for HIV.

The membership of Treatments Officers throughout Australia and New Zealand, working for their State and Territory peer-based organisations and AIDS Councils are called together by NAPWHA under this program to provide peer support/navigation and to promote the sharing of information. The network meets formally once per year and informal communication occurs throughout the rest of the year to continue the work of the network.

Nurse Practitioners included as authorised prescribers for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C medicines

April 14, 2020

Nurse Practitioner s100 Prescribing: What does this mean?

From 1 April 2020, Nurse Practitioners (NPs) experienced in the care and management of people living with HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are eligible to prescribe Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) funded medicines for treatment of these blood borne viruses. NPs can already prescribe medicines to treat hepatitis C for people living in the community, but now they can also prescribe Hepatitis C medicines for people in prisons. Expanding NP prescribing to include HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C medicines will improve access to care for people who have a NP in the health service that they visit.

NPs have been an integral part of the Australian health system for 20 years and have been safely and effectively prescribing medicines in Australia since 2010, including Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV and treatment for hepatitis C.

They already provide care to many people living with HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C in major cities, regional, rural and remote towns through health services such as:

  • Sexual health clinics
  • Hospitals
  • General practices
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services
  • Community health centres
  • Prisons

What is a Nurse Practitioner?

Within our healthcare system, NPs are the most senior nurses working in clinical settings.  They have completed postgraduate Masters degree level study and are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board as Nurse Practitioners.  NPs are already able to:

  • Provide expert healthcare to all members of the community
  • Raise awareness of health promotion activities and strategies for disease prevention with community members
  • Write prescriptions for patients to access Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines for many health conditions
  • Order x-rays and tests to diagnose health conditions
  • Refer patients to a specialist or hospital if needed
  • Collaborate with other health professionals, for example, General Practioners, Infectious Disease Clinicians and Sexual Health Physicians, physiotherapists, social workers and occupational therapists to support people to manage their health and wellbeing

To prescribe HIV and hepatitis B medicines NPs need to complete an accreditation course. This means some NPs may not be able to prescribe your next script immediately but will be able to do so in due course. ASHM is currently adapting its education courses for online delivery, including the HIV and Hepatitis B s100 Prescriber courses. The process of adaption might delay the commencement of accreditation courses.

Community members are encouraged to talk with their NP to discuss these changes and what they mean for them.

Search for a Nurse Practitioner by location

You can search for accredited NPs, by location, on the ASHM website:

ASHM is a peak organisation of health professionals in Australia and New Zealand who work in HIV, viral hepatitis, other BBVs and sexually transmissible infections. They are the national accreditation education provider for continuing medical education for community practitioners who prescribe s100 medications in HIV. 

Download a PDF version of 'Nurse Practitioner s100 Prescribing'

Managing community concerns about ARV supply

April 3, 2020

The importance of consistent HIV health sector messaging

The current COVID-19 crisis has raised concerns about HIV treatment supply in Australia. Despite continued assurances that supply is not, nor is likely to be compromised, rumours to the contrary persist.

This speculation has the potential to raise anxiety levels and cause consumer panic. Maintaining message consistency across the HIV health workforce is vitally important at this time.

When patients or customers register concern about the supply of HIV medications, please reassure them with the following messages:

  1. The pharmaceutical companies that supply antiretrovirals (ARVs) in Australia have given assurances that there is no shortage. There are enough HIV treatments in the country right now to meet the needs of people with HIV for many months.
  2. Stock-outs or delays in re-stocking ARVs at a local pharmacy does not mean that national supply is limited.
  3. In the unlikely event of an impending shortage of a particular ARV, the TGA would add it to this publicly available list and then take action to ensure ongoing access for people living with HIV taking that medication. NB: There are no ARVs currently on this TGA list.
  4. It is important to keep taking HIV treatments as prescribed. People with HIV should not skip doses or share medication with friends who are worried about their own supply.
  5. Prescriptions for ARVs are currently limited to two months’ supply at a time and this is standard for everyone. To minimise trips to the pharmacy, arrangements are in place so people living with HIV can have their medications posted to them. For more information about this issue please talk with your pharmacist.

NAPWHA has issued this communication with Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) and Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) on 3 April 2020.

Download a PDF version of 'Managing community concerns about ARV supply' sector release
Access COVID-19 Information