Detention figures for illegally
supplied HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) upon entry to Ireland have
exceeded 2018’s figures in the first quarter of this year alone.
Throughout
all of 2018, there were seven separate detentions of PrEP tablets upon entry
into Ireland. These detentions comprised of 660 tablets, according to figures
released to the Medical
Independent (MI)
by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA). A spokesperson for the HPRA
told MI that the tablets detained were found
to be tenofovir disoproxil, and the generic products Tenvir-EM (tenofovir and
emtricitabine), manufactured by Cipla, and Ricovir-EM (tenofovir and
emtricitabine), manufactured by Mylan.
The first
quarter of this year alone has seen more PrEP tablets detained than throughout
all of 2018. Between January 1 and March 31, some 840 PrEP tablets were
detained upon entry into Ireland, spanning nine separate detentions, according
to the HPRA. The tablets were identified by the HPRA as tenofovir disoproxil,
tenofovir and emtricitabine and Tenvir-EM.
The
spokesperson said that when recording a detention of illegally supplied
medication, “while the active ingredient(s) in a product are recorded in all
instances, it can be the case that, on occasion, the actual brand name is not”.
They
added there was no obvious explanation for the variance between the 2018 and
2019 figures.
PrEP is
currently available in Ireland legally with a doctor’s prescription. A month’s
supply of branded Truvada tablets costs around €400.
As of
December 2017, generic versions are available in Ireland which cost around
€85-€100 per month. This is not covered by the Drugs Payment Scheme and must be
paid in full by those purchasing the medication. More affordable versions of
generic PrEP tablets can be bought online, but obtaining prescription medicine
without a prescription is a criminal offence in Ireland.
Minister
for Health Simon Harris has said that a PrEP programme will be rolled out in
Ireland before the end of 2019 in an effort to reduce the number of HIV diagnoses
in the country.
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