‘We’ve been waiting for this for a long time’: B.C. to fund HIV-prevention drug

Daily prevention pill was available previously but it was not covered, and high prices made it inaccessible

People at high risk of becoming infected with the HIV virus will soon be able to access free medication to protect against it in B.C.

Starting on Jan. 1, the province of British Columbia will cover the costs of pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment, also known as PrEP, and involving the drug Truvada, for at-risk patients. The groundbreaking treatment that protects against HIV was developed in B.C., but its high cost made it inaccessible to many – until now.

Thanks in part to an agreement to secure a generic form of Truvada, a once-a-day pill, by the B.C. Centre for Excellence for HIV/AIDS, the province has agreed to cover costs.

“By bringing down the cost of Truvada, both for treatment and prevention, it makes a great opportunity for us to expand on our abilities to effectively control HIV in the province.” said Dr. Julio Montaner, director of B.C. Centre for Excellence for HIV/AIDS and a pioneer of the treatment.

Montaner says that targeting groups who are most at-risk for being infected with HIV will be a key part of the success of the medication.

“If we were to capture the people who are at the highest risk of HIV infection … we could actually see a dramatic decrease in new infections in the next several years,” said Montaner.

“All together, this [treatment] is part of our strategy to bring down HIV altogether so we can open the door to a truly HIV-free generation in the future. “

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During the Canada Post strike announced September 25, 2025, the following measures will be undertaken to minimize service disruption to BC-CfE clients and providers.

  • The BC-CfE Laboratory has transitioned to private courier for delivery of outgoing reports and documents. Results required urgently can be faxed upon request. (Lab Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8775; FAX 604-806-9463)
  • The BC-CfE Drug Treatment Program (DTP) will fax outgoing forms and documents to the provider’s office. (DTP Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8515; FAX 604-806-9044)
  • St. Paul’s Hospital Ambulatory Pharmacy has transitioned to private courier for delivery of medications. We recommend requesting medication at least 2 weeks in advance in case of delivery delays, particularly to rural/remote parts of BC. (Contact Information: Phone 1-800-547-3622; FAX 604-806-8675)

During the Canada Post strike, we recommend that documents be faxed or couriered to our sites, versus utilization of regular mail service

The BC-CfE Laboratory is streamlining reporting processes for certain tests in order to simplify distribution and record-keeping, and to ensure completeness of results. Beginning September 2, 2025, results for the ‘Resistance Analysis of HIV-1 Protease and Reverse Transcriptase’ (Protease-RT) and ‘HIV-1 Integrase Resistance Genotype’ tests will be combined into a single ‘HIV-1 Resistance Genotype Report’.
For more details and example reports, please click on the button below