THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, NOVEmbER 3, 2023 Page 21 BEACON | FROM PAGE 17 said Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro), Senate Chair of the Committee on Public Health. “Today’s passage of the … bill affi rms that women and all menstruating people deserve access to menstrual products. An inaccessibility of period products speaks to the longstanding and persistent misogyny in our society, a bias that intersects with inequalities in housing, education, socioeconomics and beyond. By ensuring better access to these products, we support further access to essential health needs regardless of our situation in life.” During floor debate, Cyr commented, “I think it’s pretty obvious that if most men could menstruate, these products would be as ubiquitous and free as toilet paper.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes HIV PREVENTION DRUGS (S 2480) Senate 38-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that would allow pharmacists to prescribe, dispense and administer a short-term supply (60-days once in a twoyear period) of HIV prevention drugs, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), to a patient without a prescription. The bill requires pharmacists to provide counseling to the patient regarding the use of PrEP, to inform the patient’s primary care doctor that the pharmacist has prescribed the drug and to connect patients without a primary care provider with a health care provider for ongoing care and to obtain a prescription for PrEP Under the bill, pharmacists could only prescribe PrEP to patients who have tested negative for HIV within the past seven days, do not have HIV symptoms and are not taking medications that are not safe to use with PrEP. Supporters say that PrEP is a life-saving medication that is nearly 100 per cent eff ective in stopping the transmission of HIV. They note that that under current law, individuals who take PrEP must make an appointment and go through their doctor, a barrier that can stand in the way for people who need the medication on short notice, cannot make an appointment or cannot access medical care. “PrEP is a game changer in HIV prevention. Yet, while this life-saving medication reduces the risk of transmission by 99 per cent, it remains inaccessible for too many,” said sponsor Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro), Senate Chair of theCommittee on Public Health. “Allowing pharmacists to prescribe and dispense PrEP on a short-term basis, similar to what’s already allowed for contraceptives, would signifi cantly increase the accessibility of this essential HIV prevention tool. With greater access to PrEP we can narrow the gap in PrEP utilization among LGBTQ+ people of color. I am someone who uses PrEP and most of my gay, bisexual and queer friends rely on it too. With this legislation, we are once again putting people at the center of our public health policy. I’m thrilled it has passed the Senate.” “When someone is ready to begin PrEP, it is crucial that they are able to [do so] as soon as possible,” said Carrie Richgels, Manager of Policy and Advocacy at Fenway Health. “At Fenway Health, we regularly work to overcome barriers that patients face due to trauma, stigma and discrimination. We know from experience that to overcome these obstacles we must meet people where they are and build trust. Trust is essential to getting people on PrEP, and a local pharmacy can provide a lower threshold of access and can be a trusted access point for those who may face discrimBEACON | SEE PAGE 23
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