At a public signing ceremony in June, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R) signed into law HB 579 – expanding patient access to vital HIV prevention services across the state. Among those in attendance were representatives from NACDS member companies Albertsons and Walgreens.
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) is hailing today the enactment of Louisiana House Bill (HB) 579, crucial legislation led by State Representative Wayne McMahen (R) that will help modernize Louisiana’s healthcare system so that at-risk Louisianians have better access to HIV prevention services across the state.
Specifically, the newly enacted law will expand access to vital HIV prevention services by allowing pharmacists to dispense HIV pre-exposure (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
Signed into law by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R) on June 19, the passage and signage of HB 579 makes Louisiana the 18th state to expand access to PrEP and PEP.
“NACDS applauds the Louisiana legislature, with guidance from Governor Landry’s Department of Health, for recognizing the need for better access and for expanding options for at-risk patients to receive timely, convenient, and lifesaving care at their local pharmacy. This new law acknowledges that pharmacists have the expertise and skills to provide high-quality patient care — and its enactment is a major victory for Louisianians,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson. “We want to particularly recognize State Representatives Wayne McMahen (R) and Brach Myers (R), State Senator Bill Wheat (R), Louisiana Senate Health and Welfare Chair Patrick McMath (R), Louisiana House Health and Welfare Chair Dustin Miller (D), Louisiana Department of Health officials Secretary Dr. Ralph Abraham, Deputy Secretary Dr. Pete Croughan, Drew Maranto, and all of the Louisiana pharmacy advocates who stepped up to help improve the lives of Louisiana patients.”
Importantly, Louisiana has one of the highest rates of HIV in the US. The Louisiana Department of Health reports that there are more than 23,000 people living with HIV in the state as of March 2024, with 875 new diagnoses in 2023 alone. PrEP and PEP are highly effective at preventing HIV. When taken consistently, PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by 99% according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pharmacies remain critical access points to needed care — existing within five miles of 90 percent of Americans. A recent poll commissioned by NACDS and conducted by Morning Consult found that 84% of adults in Louisiana say it is very or somewhat easy to access pharmacies, ranking their accessibility the highest among healthcare destinations tested.
Additionally, Louisiana adults support the role of pharmacists in HIV prevention. The Morning Consult data found that 68% of Louisianians support pharmacists administering simple HIV tests at pharmacies; 63% of Louisianians support pharmacists prescribing HIV preventive medications to those who may not have been exposed to HIV (pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP); and 62% of Louisianians support pharmacists prescribing HIV preventive medications to those who have possibly been exposed (post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP).
Read more about what Louisianians are saying.
Read more about NACDS’ work at the federal and state levels to sustain the pharmacy access that patients rely upon and expect.
