The owner of a pharmacy in a busy Melbourne suburb popular with the LGBTQIA+ community has launched a first-of-its-kind program to deliver pharmacist-administered HIV injections.
When Sengqi Na started at Equal Health in Fitzroy, Melbourne, in 2023, before becoming an owner earlier this year, he saw the need to improve medicine adherence for people living with HIV.
Cabenuva (cabotegravir/rilpivirine) is the only long-acting injectable HIV treatment in Australia. Patients receive two intramuscular gluteal injections either monthly or every second month, instead of taking daily tablets.
“I’ve got more and more people wanting to switch to the injectable to be free from the burden of remembering to take a pill every day,” Mr Na said.
Before this pharmacy-based option, patients had to attend a hospital or sexual health clinic.
Mr Na wanted to offer a more discreet, judgement-free service without long wait times. “People would tell me that they needed to reschedule work for half a day to get the medicine at the hospital.
“I also think the longer trading hours of the pharmacy makes it more convenient for people.”
Since launching in December, around 20 patients have signed up, some travelling from across the city.
“I think the LGBTQIA+ community can sometimes be mistreated, and they feel safe to come to the pharmacy because they get to know the pharmacist on a personal level.”
Getting to this stage was no easy feat.
With no existing model to follow, Mr Na built the service from scratch, including an electronic referral system.
“I had to create all policies and procedures, look at staff workflow, undergo risk assessment, create a referral system, a booking system, and a safety reporting system.”
He completed vaccination training through the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and further training with the drug’s manufacturer, ViiV Healthcare, which certified his injection technique. Before administering the injection, he also requires authorisation from individual prescribers.
“It’s all been worth it – I never expected the demand to be so high.”
The service is funded through a $20 administration fee charged for all vaccinations at the pharmacy. Mr Na and his partner also established the Equal Health Foundation to waive this fee for concession card holders.
He has since been invited to speak about the initiative at several national conferences, including mental health event The Collab in Sydney.
“I really need to thank my staff who helped me streamline the process and ensured every aspect of the project ran smoothly.”
