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» Go to news mainMedia opportunity: Dalhousie University study aims to expand sexual health services in pharmacies, providing patients with one‑stop testing and treatment
An innovative study at Dalhousie University is hoping to provide a comprehensive suite of sexual health services directly in pharmacy settings.
Dr. Kyle Wilby, director of Dal's College of Pharmacy, is one of the leads of the SWAB-Rx study, which seeks to reduce wait times and improve patient care by providing a one-stop shop for testing and treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), including gonorrhea and chlamydia.
The study is being carried out at four pharmacies in the Halifax Regional Municipality for the next six months for up to 100 recruited patients. If, for example, a research participant has been diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea, the study pharmacist will do an assessment, prescribe an antibiotic if necessary and then follow up if needed.
The team will provide the findings to the public, government and regulatory bodies to determine the continuation of services and possible expansion across Nova Scotia.
The initiative is a follow-up to a similar study, called PrEP-RX or Pharmacist Prescribing of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for the treatment of HIV.
Dr. Wilby is available to discuss this new research and how it could offer another access point for patients waiting to get into STI clinics and sexual health-care centres.
More information about participating sites and eligibility criteria can be found at https://www.swab-rx.ca.
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Media contact:
Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca
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