What if my doctor doesn’t know about PrEP?

Any doctor can prescribe PrEP to you with minimal effort. They do not need to be an HIV specialist.

PrEP is approved for use by anyone in Australia, and is subsidised on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for anyone with Medicare.

If your doctor tells you they are unable to prescribe PrEP because they do not have the right training, or do not know about PrEP you can explain to them that there is no specialist training required to prescribe PrEP. You can provide them with this letter – either take it on your phone or print it out to bring it along to your appointment.

PrEP Letter

The best place to send your doctor for information about prescribing PrEP is the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine HIV (ASHM)

Your doctor may wish to read the Australian PrEP prescribing guidelines before starting you on PrEP. That’s ok, they just want to make sure they are doing the right thing by their patient – you.

What if my doctor is unwilling to prescribe PrEP?

Your doctor may be unaware of how safe, reliable, and easy PrEP is – and may not wish to prescribe you PrEP if they are unfamiliar with it believing that PrEP may do you harm.

We have a map of doctors who are enthusiastic about providing safe and effective PrEP to their patients. If you have difficulty getting PrEP from you regular doctor, head to our map to find one nearby.

PrEP Map

What else can I do?

If your doctor is unwilling to prescribe PrEP – we would recommend speaking to the Practice Manager. The Practice Manager overseas the day to day running of the clinic, and handles any client complaints or issues. Speak to the doctor or with the reception staff at your clinic about raising your concerns with the Practice Manager.

If you are still unable to access PrEP after speaking with the Practice Manager, you have some options. You can make a complaint to your state or territory Health Complaints Commissioner, just take a look at the Commissioner relevant to your area. This would be the final step which you should undertake only if you have not followed the earlier steps.

I need help

If you need someone to advocate on your behalf, please contact us at any time and we will be happy to chat with your doctor or clinic about the benefits of PrEP. We can also link them in with the information we have mentioned, and send them some printed materials, and studies which have proven just how safe and effective PrEP is.