More than 800 on waiting lists for 'game-changer' HIV drug
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is taken before sex to prevent HIV transmission. File Picture.
More than 800 people are left waiting to get access to key HIV prevention drugs across the country, with waiting lists full in both Limerick and Clare.
In total, there are 809 people seeking access to the key preventative medication, which is taken before sex to prevent HIV transmission.
In the Dublin and North-East areas, waiting lists range between four and nine months. In the HSE Dublin and Midlands region, individuals waiting for appointments at Portlaoise Hospital can wait for up to a year.
Between University Hospital Limerick and Ennis Hospital, there are 71 people on a waiting list for pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. According to the HSE, the waiting list is currently closed to new appointments.
The longest waiting list in the country is at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, where there are 325 people on a self-referral waiting list.
The HSE also confirmed there are no services available in Waterford.
In some areas, there are no waiting lists, while an online booking system is in place at St James’ Hospital and the Gay Men’s Health Service.
Pádraig Rice, the Social Democrats TD for Cork South Central, received the information through a parliamentary question.
“Expanding access to PrEP is clearly not a priority for the minister for health,” Mr Rice said.
"The waiting list has been hovering stubbornly at around 800 people since last year, with some people waiting up to a year for an appointment.
“The national sexual health strategy, published last June, lists increased PrEP capacity as a priority, but these figures say otherwise. It is unacceptable that no funding has been provided for additional staff this year, when clearly there is not enough capacity to meet demand.
“PrEP is a potential game-changer in reducing HIV transmission, and it must be made readily available. It could be possible to end HIV transmissions in Ireland — but to get there, we need action.”
The Social Democrats TD, who chairs the Oireachtas health committee, described sexual health services as being an “afterthought” at the Department of Health.
According to the HSE response, there was €700,000 allocated to public PrEP and sexual health services for the 2025 service plan, adding that this was “substantially below what was requested”.
This HSE carried out an assessment, with the greatest capacity issues being identified in Dublin, and resources were allocated accordingly.
A spokesperson for the HSE said that since it launched its PrEP programme in 2019, there have been 10,800 individuals who have accessed the drug.
Last year, more than 7,400 people received PrEP, the spokesperson said.
“While many services have waiting lists for self-referrals, they are able to provide urgent appointments to individuals within a month of referral, and these individuals are not included on a waiting list,” the spokesperson said.
“When people on a waiting list are offered an appointment, a proportion are already engaged with a different PrEP service.
“In addition, some individuals who attend a service for the first time are seeking to transfer their care to a more convenient location rather than actually access PrEP for the first time.”
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