Two vancouver pharmacies first in Canada to provide free HIV testing

Two Vancouver pharmacies will soon offer on-the-spot HIV tests as part of a year-long pilot project which is the first of its kind in Canada.

There will be two locations where free HIV tests would be administered — with results ready in five minutes — at Vancouver Medicine Shoppe at 2030 Kingsway and 6180 Fraser St. “Offering HIV testing at more locations like your local pharmacy helps normalize testing and reduces the stigma around it so that it’s more acceptable to people to get tested,” said Dr. Reka Gustafson, medical health officer at Vancouver Coastal health.

The pilot is expected to last for one year so health authorities can examine the feasibility of using local pharmacies as testing sites.

“While HIV is a chronic infection, early treatment prolongs and improves people’s lives and reduces transmission to others.”

Agencies/Canadajournal