PrEP is available in different ways across the world.
In many places, PrEP is available through health services, either for free or at affordable prices.
PrEP is also sometimes available as part of clinical trials.
When PrEP hasn't been easily or freely available, many people have reverted to buying PrEP online.
How can I get PrEP in the UK?
In the UK, oral PrEP is available for free through National Health Service (NHS) sexual health services.
In Scotland, PrEP is available for free on the Scottish health service for people 16 and over who live in Scotland.
In Wales, PrEP is available through the PrEPARED project.
PrEP is available in the North of Ireland by initial consultation at all sexual health clinics.
Digital PrEP
In some parts of the UK, fully online or digital PrEP services are being introduced, often in partnerships that include NHS clinics. That means a person does not need to physically visit a sexual health clinic to get oral PrEP - everything is done by phone and/or online. Current online PrEP services are available from these places:
SH.UK - you’ll need to do a postcode search to find out if your area is covered by this online PrEP scheme
SH:24 - you’ll need to do a postcode search to find out if your area is covered by this online PrEP scheme
Private route
It is also possible to buy oral PrEP from a private doctor or private registered pharmacy in the UK. These usually work through undertaking an online consultation and the PrEP being sent through the post. Some of these online services will offer HIV and STI kits too - which will be charged for, as will the cost of the PrEP itself.
Pharmacies
In addition, some people buy oral PrEP from pharmacies outside of the UK, and without a prescription. This is how many tens of thousands of people in the UK accessed PrEP before it became available on the NHS. It is legal to do this, and in 2018 PrEPster undertook independent laboratory testing on PrEP bought online. It should be noted that these sellers aren’t providing HIV or STI testing - and it is important to undertake such tests before or soon after starting PrEP.
Laws on buying PrEP online will differ from country to country.
In the UK it is legal to buy PrEP online so long as it's for personal use. Advice given by UK authorities say that "personal use" means no more than 90 days of drug should be bought at one time. It is therefore strongly recommended that no more than three months’ worth (usually up to 3 bottles of 30 pills) is bought at once.
The websites iwantprepnow.co.uk and prep.global/get-prep list a number of online pharmacies that have been checked and verified. Checks have been made to ensure that the sites are reliable and that the PrEP they are selling is genuine (see below). Many of these sites do not accept credit/debit cards but instead use bank or wire transfers, and sometimes PayPal for payments.
How do we know online PrEP is safe
In summer 2018 PrEPster undertook tests on PrEP bought from six major suppliers and found no evidence of fake PrEP. PrEP bought online has been used by thousands of people in the UK and across Europe - and there has been no evidence of fake PrEP being sold via reliable sellers.
Most online pharmacies won’t deliver to countries
where it is illegal to buy and import PrEP.
However, some people are buying PrEP online using a delivery address in a country where it is legal to buy PrEP and then shipping PrEP to their country via a courier service. We STRONGLY advise checking local country advice before doing this.
It is sometimes necessary for customs duty or taxes to be paid on medicines imported from a different country. The delivery company might add a charge to the order to cover this cost. It is not uncommon for customs authorities to hold onto a delivery until a customs charge is paid. This does not mean that the PrEP has been impounded or seized. It means an additional charge has to be made before the package will be released.
We do not have a "preferred" seller, and we do not take funding or sponsorship from sellers of PrEP.
We do not sell or supply PrEP. We strongly urge caution in obtaining PrEP from sources that cannot be traced or verified, including in unsealed and unopened bottles.