Status: PrEP has been funded by PHARMAC since March 2018. Cost: Approximately $5 per prescription item (standard Community Services Card rate or standard adult co-payment — check current PHARMAC rates as these are periodically reviewed). The catch: You need a prescription and baseline tests, and must do monitoring every three months.

For the clinical background — what PrEP is, how it works, daily vs. on-demand dosing — see PrEP Mechanics: Daily, On-Demand & Injectable first.

How to Get PrEP

Step 1: Find a Prescriber

Any registered New Zealand doctor can prescribe PrEP, but your best options are:

  • Public sexual health clinics: Free, specialist staff, complete the baseline tests in the same visit. Auckland Sexual Health Service, Wellington Sexual Health Clinic, Canterbury Sexual Health, and equivalent services at DHB hospitals nationally.
  • The Burnett Foundation Aotearoa: Their Auckland clinic and affiliated services specifically support gay and bisexual men's sexual health, including PrEP initiation.
  • LGBTQ+-affirming GPs: Some GPs have specific experience with gay men's health and are comfortable PrEP prescribers. Ask explicitly when calling a new GP: "Do you prescribe PrEP?"

Step 2: The Baseline Tests

Before starting PrEP, you need:

  • HIV test (must be negative — PrEP cannot be started in undiagnosed HIV positive patients)
  • Kidney function (eGFR/creatinine)
  • Hepatitis B surface antigen and surface antibody (important due to the activity of tenofovir against hepatitis B)
  • STI screen — three-site gonorrhoea/chlamydia, syphilis serology, hepatitis C

These tests are bulk funded at public sexual health clinics.

Step 3: The Prescription

The PHARMAC-funded PrEP is generic tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC). Take your prescription to any community pharmacy. Confirm they stock it (most do; call ahead to be certain). Pay the co-payment. Prescriptions typically come with repeats.

Step 4: The Pharmacy

New Zealand pharmacies are nationwide. Most major pharmacy chains (Unichem, Life Pharmacy, Green Cross Health, Chemist Warehouse) will have or can order TDF/FTC. Rural pharmacies may need 24–48 hours to source it.

The Monitoring Routine

Every three months:

  • HIV test (mandatory)
  • Three-site STI screen (gonorrhoea/chlamydia throat, rectal, urethra)
  • Syphilis serology
  • Annually: kidney function, hepatitis serology

Many sexual health clinics offer combined PrEP review + STI screen appointments. Telehealth options exist for remote monitoring in some regions — ask your prescriber.

What If You Can't Get an Appointment Quickly?

Demand for PrEP services has grown since PHARMAC funding began. Options if there's a wait:

Self-Fund While You Wait

Generic TDF/FTC can be purchased privately at full cost while you wait for a funded appointment to come through. Some people choose this to avoid any gap in protection. Ask your GP or a sexual health clinic about private prescribing if this is your situation.

Telehealth

Some New Zealand telehealth services can initiate PrEP remotely, with blood tests done at a local pathology collection point. This has expanded PrEP access beyond Auckland and Wellington. Search "PrEP telehealth New Zealand" for current providers.

GP Initiation

If your GP has PrEP experience, they can initiate and monitor PrEP as part of your regular care, with pathology through standard community collection.

Monitoring — the Essential Part

PrEP is not a set-and-forget medication. Missing monitoring appointments increases risk: HIV may go undetected; STIs you don't know about go untreated. The three-month cycle keeps you safe.

Many people integrate their PrEP review with their regular STI screen — same appointment, same pathway. This is the right approach.

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