Italy made PrEP a Class A (Fascia A) drug in late 2023, meaning the medication itself is fully funded by the SSN (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale). Before 2023, PrEP cost approximately €60–100 per month out of pocket. Now the medication is free. The catch: you need a prescription from an infectious disease specialist, not your GP, and waiting lists at public centres can run long. The Checkpoints are the fast track.
📋 The Key Facts
- PrEP medication: free (SSN Fascia A)
- Prescription from an Infettivologo (infectious disease specialist) at an authorised centre is required
- Dispensed via hospital pharmacy (farmacia ospedaliera) — not a regular pharmacy
- Monitoring tests every 3 months: may carry a ticket (co-pay) depending on your region and exemptions
- Cannot be prescribed by a GP — must go through an authorised Malattie Infettive centre
🗺️ Step 1: Find Your Centre
Use plus-aps.it/prepinfo — Italy's PrEP centre-finder, maintained by PLUS APS and updated regularly. It maps every authorised prescribing centre by region and city.
Fast-track options:
| Checkpoint | What they offer |
|---|---|
| BLQ Checkpoint (Bologna) | Direct fast-track to Sant'Orsola Hospital for PrEP prescriptions. Contact BLQ first. |
| Milano Checkpoint | Navigation to nearby centres with shorter waiting lists. |
| Roma Checkpoint | Connected to Spallanzani — ask them about the fastest current route in Rome. |
Contact the Checkpoint in your city before calling any hospital directly. They know which centres have shorter queues right now, which is information no website can stay current with.
📅 Step 2: Book an Appointment
Route A — Direct booking: Some Malattie Infettive centres allow you to email or call directly for a PrEP appointment. Ask your local Checkpoint which centres currently allow this — it can save weeks versus going through the CUP.
Route B — Via CUP (central booking): For other centres, you need an impegnativa (referral prescription) from your medico di base (GP), specifying "valutazione per PrEP" (PrEP assessment). Then call the CUP (Centro Unico Prenotazioni) to book with the specialist.
Some GPs are unfamiliar with the PrEP referral pathway. If your medico di base hesitates, ask the Checkpoint to advise you on how to word the request, or identify a centre that accepts direct booking instead.
🔬 Step 3: First Visit
Your infettivologo will confirm HIV negativity (HIV test required), check kidney function (creatinina), and screen for STIs and hepatitis B before prescribing. The standard regimen is tenofovir/emtricitabine — either TDF/FTC or TAF/FTC depending on your kidney profile.
📊 Monitoring: Every 3 Months
Ongoing monitoring includes an HIV test, full STI screen, and kidney function check. You'll return to your Malattie Infettive centre every three months. The monitoring tests may carry a ticket (co-pay) — this varies by region. In some regions, PrEP monitoring tests are ticket-exempt; ask at your first appointment.
🌍 For Visitors and Tourists
EU citizens with an EHIC card are covered for medically necessary SSN care. PrEP as ongoing prevention for short-term visitors is unlikely to be dispensed via the SSN — bring your own medication from home. If you're in Italy long-term (residency, work), register with the SSN and access PrEP through the system.
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