Courier pharmacy champions prevention and treatment 

The foundations of a long and healthy life are laid in youth. This Youth Month, a pharmacist from South Africa’s original national courier pharmacy highlights HIV prevention and effective management as key health concerns the youth should be aware of.

“Young people often feel invincible, but the steady rise in new HIV infections that continue to affect the youth today shows just how important awareness is. This generation must be empowered so that HIV does not define their future. That means each person should be aware of their HIV status – and if positive, learning how to manage the condition in the best possible way,” says pharmacist Themba Muhlarhi of Medipost Pharmacy.

Prevention and testing

“Our actions in our youth can have consequences for our long-term health. Being faithful, that is having just one sexual partner, or abstaining, is the best policy for prevention, and ‘condomising’ should be the norm, unless testing for HIV and screening for other sexually transmitted infections has been done to eliminate the risk.”

Medipost Pharmacy ensures continuous, hassle-free, and reliable delivery of long-term and chronic medicines, including those for the prevention and management of HIV, among many others, to any address in South Africa, making it easy to adhere to treatment as prescribed.

For people who are at higher risk of HIV exposure, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is available as an additional means to help prevent infection, for example, where one partner is HIV positive and the other is negative, speak to your doctor for the prescription medication used in PrEP. While rapid HIV tests are also available without a prescription for home delivery from shop.medipost.co.za, they are best done at a facility where pre-testing and post-test counselling are available if needed.

“It is important to understand that even if a rapid test comes back indicating positive, a confirmatory HIV test still needs to be done at a clinic or health facility. Condoms remain the best barrier method of prevention when used correctly every time,” he says.

“Young people who are diagnosed with HIV today have a better chance for a long and healthy life than previous generations. It is important to test for HIV regularly and start ARV treatment as soon as possible if a positive diagnosis is confirmed. Your doctor will prescribe the right medication for you, and your pharmacy team can help explain exactly how to take the treatment.”

Don’t skip ARVs

Muhlarhi explains that antiretrovirals, more commonly known as ARVs, are medications that fight HIV in the body, preventing the virus from growing and progressing so that the person can remain healthy for decades.

“There are many ARVs available in the market; most are formulated in a three-drug combination tablet, and others may be in a two-drug combination, with liquid formulations available as well.”

He emphasises that starting HIV treatment early is essential to prevent the spread and multiplication of the virus in the body, giving the immune system a fighting chance against opportunistic infections, such as tuberculosis (TB) or pneumonia, which can be especially serious for people with HIV.

“It is important for people on ARVs to adhere to their treatment and remain consistent with taking their medication. Sometimes a person might experience side effects when starting new medication, and it is advisable to talk to your treating doctor and a pharmacist who can provide reassurance and, where needed, guidance to find a solution.”

What’s the danger?

Muhlarhi stresses that you should never stop taking prescribed chronic medication for conditions such as HIV, diabetes, bipolar disorder or depression, among others, without first seeking the advice of your treating doctor.

“Not taking treatment consistently can result in what we call drug resistance. For HIV, this is a situation where the virus adapts itself to the drug in such a way that the medication no longer works. When this happens, the ARV becomes ineffective, and the virus can rapidly multiply and destroy your body’s immune system cells, which can have lasting effects on your health and future HIV management,” he explains.

“The danger of poor adherence is that once this resistance develops, it often means the person will need to take more medication to control the virus than before. Instead of taking just one pill at night, you may end up having to take two or three tablets twice a day plus the one at night.

“This extra pill burden can make adherence more difficult for some people to keep track of, so please do NOT skip your doses and try to take your medication at the same time every day so that your treatment can be optimally effective and serve you well for years to come.”

In addition to free delivery on chronic medication, Medipost Pharmacy also offers pharmacy advice telephonically in all official South African languages to provide confidential clinical support for registered patients. 

“Through greater awareness of HIV and the importance of adhering to chronic medicine and making responsible use of all the prevention measures available, this generation can turn the tide on newly acquired HIV infections and ensure that young people living with HIV have easy, reliable access to the medicines they need to remain healthy and well for decades to come,” Muhlarhi says.

To register with Medipost Pharmacy, email info@medipost.co.za, call 012 426 4000, send a WhatsApp to 012 426 4655 or download the Medipost app. Visit www.medipost.co.za for more information.