Pharmacy HIV tests
July 27, 2016
PHARMACIES could be selling
home HIV test kits without a
prescription as soon as next year if
trials which will start within a few
months earn Therapeutic Goods
Administration approval, Fairfax
Media has reported.
Estimated to retail at between
$15 to $20, the finger-prick test has
been demonstrated in European
studies to be 99.8% accurate,
Australian company Atomo
Diagnostics ceo John Kelly said.
HIV advocates and researchers
are keen to promote self-testing
because “there are thousands of
people with HIV in Australia who
do not know they have the virus”
but early detection would lead to
early treatment almost completely
removing further infection from the
agenda.
Associate Professor Rebecca
Guy from the Kirby Institute at the
University of New South Wales said
a recent study of 362 men at higher
risk of getting HIV, showed self tests
doubled the frequency of testing
in a year.
“Self-testing has particular value
for people who are at risk of HIV
who may not attend clinics as much
as they need to or who may not
attend clinics at all,” Guy said at the
AIDS 2016 conference in Durban.
HIV self-tests are already available
direct to consumers in the UK, US
and France and are supported by
both the NSW and Victorian AIDS
Councils.
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