Bridging PrEP access gaps: Mapping geospatial accessibility across the US and leveraging community pharmacies for expansion.

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is key to ending the US HIV epidemic, but uptake remains low. Federal legislation permitting community pharmacists to initiate PrEP nationwide could expand access to PrEP services.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate census tract-level geospatial access to PrEP facilities and community pharmacies across the US and characterize geographic areas and populations where community pharmacies could help bridge the gap in care.

Methods: We identified census tracts with limited or no access ("deserts") to PrEP facilities and community pharmacies in 2022 using 2 primary definitions: 1) a tract with no PrEP facilities or pharmacies within a 30-minute drive of the tract centroid; and 2) a tract with low income and low access (no PrEP facilities or pharmacies within one mile of the centroid for low vehicle access tracts, 2 miles in urban tracts, 10 miles in suburban tracts, 20 miles in rural tracts). Tracts with access were "oases," and "PrEP desert, pharmacy oasis" tracts represented areas without PrEP facilities where community pharmacies could expand access. We characterized the social determinants of health associated with desert status and conducted sensitivity analyses exploring additional access definitions.

Results: Of the 82,729 census tracts in our analysis, most were classified as dual PrEP and pharmacy oases. We categorized 13.3% as PrEP deserts under the 30-minute definition, and 94.3% of these tracts were pharmacy oases. Under the low income and low access definition, 17.0% of all tracts were PrEP deserts, 78.2% of which were pharmacy oases. PrEP deserts were predominantly located in the Midwest and South and associated with higher poverty, social vulnerability, and uninsurance.

Conclusion: Our analysis confirmed inequitable access to PrEP facilities across the US. Federal recognition of pharmacists as health care providers empowered to initiate PrEP nationwide has the potential to substantially bridge access gaps for underserved communities.