Time window: Under 72 hours. Ideally under 24. Every hour matters. Cost: Free or near-free (see below).

For the full clinical context — what PEP is, how it works, the 28-day course, and who it's appropriate for — see PEP: The Emergency Protocol first.

Where to Go

If It's During Normal Hours (Weekdays, Daytime)

GUIDE Clinic, St James's Hospital is the best first call during clinic hours. Tel: 01 416 2319. Tell them: "I've had a high-risk exposure to HIV and I need PEP." They may be able to see you urgently without going through A&E.

GMHS (Baggot Street) — also call during hours. They can triage to the appropriate pathway.

If It's Out of Hours (Evenings, Weekends, Nights)

Go to A&E at the nearest large hospital. Do not go to a GP out-of-hours service — they will not have PEP medication. Go directly to A&E.

Dublin:

  • St James's Hospital (James Street, Dublin 8) — the preferred choice; the GUIDE Clinic handles PEP follow-up there
  • Mater Hospital (Eccles Street, Dublin 7) — also appropriate

Cork: Cork University Hospital (CUH) Galway: University Hospital Galway (UHG) Limerick: University Hospital Limerick (UHL)

For anywhere else in Ireland: go to the A&E of the nearest large hospital. All major hospitals have access to HIV medications.

What to Say

At triage, say this clearly: "I've had a high-risk sexual exposure to HIV within the last [X] hours and I need post-exposure prophylaxis."

Be specific about the risk: "My partner was HIV-positive / unknown status" and "we had receptive anal sex without a condom." The more clearly you frame the clinical risk, the faster the response. A&E staff may have limited familiarity with sexual health context — being direct and factual helps.

The Meds

Starter pack: You will typically receive a 5–7 day starter pack from the hospital pharmacy to begin immediately.

Follow-up: You must book a follow-up appointment at a sexual health clinic (GUIDE Clinic or GMHS in Dublin; regional equivalents elsewhere) before the starter pack runs out, to receive the remaining medication to complete the 28-day course. Do not assume the A&E will give you the full 28 days — this varies.

Don't lose the paperwork. The discharge paperwork and any prescription documentation you receive at A&E should be brought to your follow-up appointment.

The A&E Fee Situation

Ireland charges a €100 fee for A&E attendance without a GP referral letter. The practical situation for PEP is:

  • Medical Card holders: Free regardless.
  • GP referral: If you can get a GP to fax or email a referral quickly, this waives the fee — but don't delay seeking PEP to chase paperwork. The clock matters more than the fee.
  • Emergency public health framing: In practice, many A&E departments do not apply the fee to PEP presentations, treating it as an emergency public health issue. This is not guaranteed, but it is common.
  • EU/EEA visitors with EHIC: Emergency care is covered at no charge.
  • Non-EU tourists: Emergency care will be provided regardless. You may receive a bill afterward; address that later. The virus doesn't wait for accounting.

If you're worried about the fee: Go anyway. Get the medication. A €100 bill is manageable; an HIV infection is not.

PEP Is Not a Substitute for PrEP

If you find yourself needing PEP more than once, or you are regularly having condomless sex with partners of unknown or positive status, PEP is the wrong prevention tool. PrEP is designed for exactly this situation — it is taken before exposure, is far more effective at population scale, and is free in Ireland.

See PrEP in Ireland: The HSE Scheme for how to get started.

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