What does it mean to be an accredited HIV prescriber?

HIV treatment has changed dramatically in the last 20-30 years. Many HIV positive patients struggle with the stigma of being HIV positive and chose to keep their HIV status a secret, even from their GP. Thankfully things have changed and continue to change for the better.

Some GPs have undertaken specialist training to become accredited HIV prescribers. This means you can be prescribed treatment for HIV in the community at clinics with HIV prescribing GPs. Modern treatments have far less side effects and much better tolerated than the first medications to be available in the 1990s.

Nowadays you don’t have to wait until your white cell counts drop below a certain level, the Start study showed us that we should start treatment as soon as possible with treatment goals being undetectable viral load and healthy white cell counts. Your HIV prescribing GP can arrange all your routine tests and provide your prescriptions, just like you would have at the hospital. Having a GP whom you see regularly allows continuity of care. This means when prescribing your HIV treatment, your GP can take all of this information into account to help choose the best medication for you and minimise the risk of interactions with other medications and of experiencing avoidable side effects.

An accredited HIV prescribers works closely with the infectious disease consultants at the hospitals and regularly keep up to date with guidelines and new treatment options.