Macon town hall explains new Georgia HIV prevention law

A new state law allows pharmacists to dispense PrEP and PEP, aiming to expand HIV prevention access across Middle Georgia.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A statewide organization brought an important conversation to Middle Georgia Wednesday, focusing on HIV prevention and expanding access to care.

Community members gathered to learn more about HIV prevention and what a new state law could mean for access to care.

Georgia Equality invited community members, healthcare professionals and advocates to a town hall focused on HIV prevention in Georgia. The discussion centered around Senate Bill 195, which went into effect July 1 and allows pharmacists to dispense HIV prevention medications like PREP and PEP under certain conditions. Organizers say the goal is to increase access and awareness.

“So what brought me out to Macon is that HIV prevalence in Macon is still an ongoing issue,” said Kayla Quimbley Young, HIV policy manager with Georgia Equality. “SB 195 is a bill that will allow pharmacists to be able to dispense PREP and PEP, and so I feel like it is very important for community education for people to know what this bill does.”

PREP is a medication that helps prevent people from contracting HIV.

According to Young, Macon has about 40 to 60 pharmacies with roughly one PREP prescribing location.

Christopher West, a clinical HIV pharmacist in Middle Georgia, says the new law could help change that by creating more access points for patients.

“I’m excited for exactly what all this means for Middle Georgia and for patients in this area,” West said. “It’s been a long time coming and this bill is very near and dear to me. I’m very intimately invested in it and its success.”

The town hall also included discussions about increasing awareness and encouraging community involvement in HIV prevention efforts.