Pharmacists in Georgia will soon have more flexibility to provide medications designed to prevent HIV under a new law that takes effect July 1.

Advocates who pushed for the change say many details still need to be worked out before the policy can expand access as intended.

Eric Rangel, executive director and health navigator at Latino LinQ, a Latinx LGBTQ organization that provides free HIV testing, said questions remain about how the law will work in practice.

“Which pharmacies are going to participate in this? Is it all pharmacies? Is it particularly with Walgreens? So is it with the Walmart pharmacies?” Rangel said. “How is this looking like exactly? And with each pharmacy, do they have the staffing and the capabilities?”

The law leaves many implementation details to the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy, including training requirements and a statewide protocol.

Nearly 67,000 Georgians are living with HIV, and more than 2,400 were newly diagnosed in 2024. Public health leaders estimate pharmacy-based access could increase availability 20-fold, especially in rural communities where clinics are hours away.

Pedro Viloria, director of community impact and wellbeing with Latino Community Fund Georgia, said the organization helped push for the law and is now focused on making sure the policy works for everyone. That starts with language access, he said.

“Language access is one of our biggest missions,” Viloria said. “We believe having access in language to resources is the biggest hurdle, so we want to make sure that that is something that is prioritized.”

Viloria said advocates also want a strong outreach strategy so communities know the medications are available, including possible advertisements in pharmacies.

He said the law passed during a legislative session in which most health access bills stalled. While advocates are celebrating the achievement, he said their focus is now on a smooth implementation, including which pharmacies decide to opt in.

Source: Public News Service