Empowerx, Inc.

Pep/prep via Pharmacist-prescribing Implementation (PEPPI) - Project Summary/abstract Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PREP) Therapies Are Highly Effective at Preventing Hiv Infections; However, Uptake and Adherence to These Therapies Remains Low, With Only 36% of Eligible Patients Receiving PRESCRIPTIONS.1 With 89% of Patients Living Within Five Miles of a Community Pharmacy and Pharmacies Being Over 20 Times More Available Than Other Prep Prescribers Across High- Priority Areas Identified by the Ending the Hiv Epidemic INITIATIVE,2-3 Pharmacists Are Considered the Most Accessible Health Care Provider. This Positions Community Pharmacists Well to Improve Pep/prep Access by Providing Pharmacist-prescribed Pep/prep Services. the Vast Majority of Community Pharmacists Feel Pharmacist-prescribed Pep/prep Services Are IMPORTANT.4-5 and 94% of Patients Are Comfortable Receiving Prep Therapy From a PHARMACIST.6 However, Only Between 3% and 11% of Community Pharmacies in States Allowing Pharmacist-prescribed Pep/prep Services Report Offering the SERVICE.4,7-8 for This Project, We Will Partner With Two Community Organizations, the Source LGBT+ Center and Positively Aware, and Use a Community-based Participatory Approach. Our Community Partners Will Provide Feedback on Our Data Collection Tools, Assist With Recruitment, and Be Informed of Our Progress and Results Throughout Aims 1 and 2. Phase I (aims 1A and 1B) Will Follow the First Five Steps of the Design Thinking Process (empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test) to Develop a User-informed Prototype of the Peppi Software, That Will Support Implementation of Effective and Sustainable Pharmacist-prescribed Pep/prep Services. Phase Ii (aim 2) Will Involve the Development and Assessment of the Peppi Software in a Real-world Setting (i.e. Community Pharmacies). We Will Assess the Impact of the Peppi Software on 1) Implementation of Pharmacist-prescribed Pep/prep Services and 2) Patients' Access to Care via a Single-arm Clinical Trial. the Clinical Trial Will Have Three Consecutive Phases Where Pharmacists Provide Pep/prep Services Under Three Conditions: 1) Control (no Peppi Software), 2) Intervention Phase I (peppi Minimally Viable Product [MVP]), and 3) Intervention Phase Ii (enhanced Peppi Software With Integrations). at the Conclusion of This Project, We Will Have a Market-ready, Proven, User-informed Peppi Software Application That Will Facilitate the Implementation of Pharmacist-prescribed Pep/prep Services.