For the full clinical picture — how PrEP works, daily vs on-demand dosing, what monitoring is required, side effects — see PrEP Mechanics: Daily, On-Demand & Injectable first. This article covers the Denmark-specific access pathway.

Status: PrEP is free in Denmark. The trade-off is that it is dispensed through the hospital system — specifically Infectious Disease Departments (Infektionsmedicinsk Afdeling) — rather than at community pharmacies. You cannot walk into a pharmacy and collect PrEP. You need a hospital referral.

How the System Works

Denmark's PrEP programme runs through the public hospital infectious disease departments. This means the medication and monitoring are both free, but it also means navigating the referral system.

Step 1: Get a Referral

You need a referral (henvisning) to the Infectious Disease Department at a public hospital. There are two practical routes:

Via your GP (Egen Læge): Ask your GP directly: "Jeg vil gerne have en henvisning til PrEP." (I would like a referral for PrEP.) Most GPs will provide this; some may be less familiar — if yours seems uncertain, mention that the referral should go to the Infektionsmedicinsk Afdeling at Hvidovre Hospital (Copenhagen) or your nearest regional hospital infectious disease unit.

Via Checkpoint (AIDS-Fondet): Checkpoint can facilitate PrEP referrals and in many cases is faster than going through a GP, particularly if your GP is unfamiliar with the process. Ask at your next Checkpoint appointment or contact them via aidsfondet.dk. Checkpoint staff are experienced with navigating the hospital referral pathway.

Step 2: The Hospital Consultation

Once referred, you attend an appointment at the Infectious Disease Department. A specialist will assess your eligibility, discuss the medication (typically tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine, TDF/FTC), and initiate the prescription.

Waitlists: Demand has increased. Waitlists at major centres (particularly Hvidovre) can be several months. If the wait is too long for your situation, contact Checkpoint — they may be able to prioritise urgent cases or identify a faster route at another centre.

Step 3: Collect at the Hospital Pharmacy

PrEP in Denmark is dispensed at the hospital pharmacy (Hospitalsapoteket), not at a regular community pharmacy. When you attend your monitoring appointments, you collect the next supply there.

This is free. There is no co-payment for CPR holders.

Where to Get PrEP

Copenhagen:

  • Hvidovre Hospital — Infektionsmedicinsk Afdeling, Kettegård Allé 30, 2650 Hvidovre. The primary PrEP centre for the Capital Region.
  • Rigshospitalet — Also prescribes PrEP; mainly used for patients with complicating factors.

Aarhus: Aarhus University Hospital (AUH) — Infektionsmedicinsk Afdeling handles PrEP and HIV for the Central Denmark Region. Checkpoint Aarhus can facilitate referrals.

Odense: Odense University Hospital (OUH) — Infektionsmedicinsk Afdeling. Checkpoint Odense can assist with referrals.

Aalborg: Aalborg University Hospital (AaUH) — Infektionsmedicinsk Afdeling for the North Denmark Region. Checkpoint Aalborg for referral facilitation.

The Monitoring Cycle

PrEP is not a one-off prescription — it requires ongoing monitoring. The standard schedule at Danish infectious disease departments is every three months:

  • HIV test (essential — taking PrEP while HIV-positive risks drug resistance)
  • STI screen including three-site panel (throat, rectal, urethral)
  • Kidney function (creatinine) — TDF/FTC can affect kidneys in a minority of users
  • Hepatitis B screen (at initiation and annually)

These appointments happen at the hospital, not at Checkpoint. Some centres may allow component tests to be done at Checkpoint or via your GP, but the main monitoring visit is typically at the prescribing hospital.

Missing monitoring appointments is not just a procedural issue — it's how resistance and kidney problems get caught early. Treat the monitoring as part of the programme.

On-Demand PrEP (2-1-1)

In Denmark, standard prescribing is daily PrEP. The 2-1-1 on-demand protocol (2 tablets 2–24 hours before sex, 1 the day after, 1 the day after that) is evidence-based for TDF/FTC and has been approved by European guidelines, but not all Danish prescribers routinely offer it.

If you want to discuss on-demand dosing, raise it explicitly at your hospital consultation. The infectious disease specialists at Hvidovre and Rigshospitalet are the most likely to be familiar with it.

See PrEP Mechanics: Daily, On-Demand & Injectable for the clinical comparison and evidence base.

For Non-Residents and Tourists

PrEP through the public hospital system requires a CPR number and a Sundhedskort. If you do not have these, the public route is not accessible.

If you are a long-term EU/EEA resident in Denmark, getting a CPR number is your priority. Contact the local Borgerservice (Citizens' Service centre) — the process varies by region.

Short-term visitors cannot access the free PrEP programme. Private options (online prescription services from your home country, travel stock) are the practical alternatives for short stays.

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