Grant: Team Grant: THINC Implementation Science Team Grants-HIV/AIDS and STBBI

Sexually transmitted/bloodborne infections (STBBI) including HIV and hepatitis C remain a problem in Canada. Our healthcare system is strained, making it difficult for people to access care. Although effective prevention and treatment exists for STBBI, many people cannot access healthcare professionals or healthcare settings to receive this care. This is especially true for vulnerable populations (2SLGBTQ+, people who use drugs, racially diverse and immigrant populations) and those living in rural or remote areas. There is an urgent need to develop new ways of providing sexual health services to Canadians. This project aims to scale up a pharmacy-based sexual health service (PbSHS) model based on completed and ongoing projects from across Canada. The PbSHS model means that people will be able to access testing for STBBI, receive prevention and treatment medications (including injectable medications) by their pharmacist. The PbSHS model has been shown to improve access to care, is preferred by patients, effective in finding new diagnoses and treating STBBI, and linking people with physician care as needed. PbSHS projects are currently ongoing in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Alberta. However once these studies end there is no plan for how to continue them. This project will take learnings from these projects and work with provinces and stakeholders to develop scale up plans to continue and integrate PbSHS into existing healthcare systems. This project will occur in 3 phases. Phase 1 aims to conduct a scalability assessment through a variety of projects involving public and stakeholder engagement. We will develop resource tools to support scale up and in Phase 2 we will seek input from stakeholders to revise the tools and scale up plans. Phase 3 will involve creating an environment ready for PbSHS scale up through creating public awareness, activating change and building capacity within and across provinces for long-term adoption of the PbSHS model.