Missouri Set To Become Third State to Offer Emergency

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO)... Empower Missouri is celebrating the passage of legislation that will expand access to a time-sensitive HIV medication.

Senator Greg Razer (D-Jackson County, Senate District 07) and Representative Phil Christofanelli (R-St. Peters, House District 105) introduced the legislation in their respective chambers, supported by Empower Missouri & the Missouri HIV Justice Coalition.

The legislation allows pharmacists to dispense post-exposure prophylaxis (often referred to as PEP) without a doctor’s prescription to anyone who fears that they might have been exposed to HIV. If the drug is taken within 72 hours after exposure, PEP reduces the risk of contracting HIV by over 80 percent.

The legislation specifies pharmacists must be authorized by a licensed doctor who determines the protocol to dispense the medication. This is a similar protocol that is in place for pharmacists who are authorized to administer vaccines.

Empower Missouri’s Executive Director Mallory Rusch said, “One of the goals of the Missouri HIV Justice Coalition is to ensure that all Missourians will have unfettered access to HIV testing and treatment. The passage of this legislation is a huge step towards this goal and will have a measurable impact in reducing the spread of HIV in our communities. We’re proud that Missouri is now a national leader in the movement to expand access to PEP.”

HIV is still a problem in Missouri. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventionhas identified 13 rural counties in Missouri as being vulnerable to an outbreak of HIV infection among people who inject drugs. It’s one of seven states that the federal governmentis prioritizing in their effort to cut HIV transmission rates by 75 percent by 2025.

“While science has not yet found a way to cure HIV, we certainly have the tools at our disposal to end HIV [transmission] if we take the correct actions,”  Representative Phil Christofanelli told Empower Missouri. 

The bill now heads to Governor Parson. If signed into law, Missouri would become the third state in the country to allow pharmacists to dispense PEP over the counter at pharmacies.