Haesuk Park, Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, received a UF Health Shands Board Quasi Endowment award to conduct a survey study of UF Health providers about understanding barriers, perceptions, and experiences related to prescribing preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, in UF Health outpatient clinics.
Each year, the UF Health Shands Board Quasi Endowment program awards a series of grants to enhance the missions of both UF Health Shands Hospitals and UF’s health sciences colleges. Park’s team was awarded $18,000 to conduct this research, which will inform a new strategy aimed at enhancing UF Health’s PrEP care cascade.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, estimate that about 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV, including 13% who remain unaware of their infection status. Clinical trials have proven the efficacy of antiretroviral medication PrEP in preventing HIV transmission, yet the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition estimates that less than 15% of those in need of PrEP have a current prescription.
Park said this work may reveal several factors inhibiting patients from receiving PrEP care, including a lack of knowledge about the medication among providers and stigmas or discomfort in discussing or prescribing PrEP. In understanding these barriers, Park’s team aims to increase PrEP uptake and retention rates across UF Health clinics.
“This project aims to improve UF’s PrEP care cascade and overall quality of care, aligning with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ goal to reduce HIV infections by 75% by 2025 and 90% by 2030,” she said. “The survey study will guide the development of a pilot implementation strategy at UF Health outpatient clinics.”