Board holds off on HIV protocol

Specialist’s input seen as necessary

The Arkansas Medical Board on Thursday held off on approving a statewide protocol that would allow pharmacists to dispense pre- and postexposure prophylaxis medications for HIV, with board members saying they wanted to get a specialist’s opinion first.

As a result of concerns from Dr. Edward Gardner, chairman of the board, members agreed that they would approve the proposed protocol only after getting it looked at by Dr. Amanda Novack, infectious disease specialist at Baptist Health.

“There are no HIV providers on this board, and I’ll be honest, that is some of my problem with us making a decision,” Gardner said.

Gardner said the doctors he spoke to about the protocol were concerned about a potential lack of communication between pharmacist and physician leading to issues for patients who will need follow-up appointments.

“I think if I was going to want to be sure of something in here, it would be that we have a clear understanding about whose responsibility it is if a patient gets a problem,” Gardner said.

Another board member, Dr. Timothy C. Paden, agreed it would be “prudent” to get specialty advice.

“That was my concern, is how do you ensure follow-up?” added Christopher Davis, the physician assistant representative on the board.

A motion by Dr. Don Phillips, the board’s vice chairman, to get Novack’s opinion before approving the protocol passed unanimously. Phillips indicated the board would vote on the protocol before its next regular meeting, scheduled for April 11-12.

“We are going to have our expert we picked from Dr. Gardner’s advice read over this just to be complete and get a practicing physician’s standpoint on it, and upon her OK, we will as a board approve this to go forward, and that will be before the two months’ time,” Phillips said.

Act 314, signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in March, allows pharmacists to dispense the HIV drugs under a statewide protocol approved by the Medical Board and state Board of Pharmacy.

The Pharmacy Board approved the protocol in October.

The law allows a supply of 30-60 days of preexposure prophylaxis to be dispensed to a patient who has tested negative for HIV within the past seven days and doesn’t report any signs or symptoms of acute HIV infections or use of contraindicated medications.

Postexposure prophylaxis may be dispensed to a patient who has been exposed to HIV within the previous 72 hours and otherwise meets clinical criteria for the medication.

My Ly is a Report for America Corps member.