This law in Illinois will now allow pharmacists to directly prescribe PrEP, HIV prevention medications and administer on-site HIV testing.

Once pharmacists complete an HIV training program and receive a standing order from a physician or county health department, they will be able to use independent judgment to provide this HIV-related service. The law was signed by the governor earlier this year and is part of the effort to help make PrEP more accessible and contribute to the national initiative in ending the HIV epidemic.

More about PrEP & HIV Prevention

When taken as prescribed, PrEP blocks the virus from making copies of itself and spreading throughout the body. PrEP protects against HIV and does not protect against other STIs.

PrEP’s methods and efficacy depend on how someone is having sex. It’s important to consider what kind of sex you are having (vaginal, rectal, oral, etc.) to determine the most effective form of PrEP for people on gender-affirming hormones. PrEP has still been shown to work well for trans women and has had no effect on hormone levels for trans women, trans men or non-binary people.

See More on PrEP