Availability, Accessibility, and Price of Rapid HIV Self-Tests, New York City Pharmacies, Summer 2013.
We conducted an in-person survey of New York City (NYC) pharmacies to assess the availability, accessibility, and price of the over-the-counter, rapid HIV self-test kit. NYC pharmacies were stratified into high, moderate and low morbidity neighborhoods by the HIV diagnosis rate of the neighborhood in which the pharmacy was located. A random sample of 500 pharmacies was taken [250 from high morbidity neighborhoods (HighMN) and 250 from low morbidity neighborhoods (LowMN)]. Pharmacies were excluded if: closed during survey, non-retail, or >10 min walk from subway. Project staff visited pharmacies to determine kit availability (in pharmacy on day of survey), accessibility (not locked/behind counter), and price (marked on shelf/product). Of 361 pharmacies (161 LowMN; 200 HighMN), kits were available in 27 % and accessible in 10 %; there was no difference by neighborhood. Kits were most often kept behind the pharmacy counter; this was more common in HighMN than in LowMN. Kits were kept solely behind the pharmacy counter in 52 %. Median price was US $42.99 without variability across neighborhoods. The rapid HIV self-test had limited availability and access in retail pharmacies. The high median price measured suggests that cost remained a barrier.
Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 42-09 28th Street, 22-84, Queens, New York, NY, 11101, USA. jmyers@health.nyc.gov.|Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA. jmyers@health.nyc.gov.
Julie E
JE
Myers
Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 42-09 28th Street, 22-84, Queens, New York, NY, 11101, USA.
Olivia Y
OY
El-Sadr Davis
Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 42-09 28th Street, 22-84, Queens, New York, NY, 11101, USA.
Elliott R
ER
Weinstein
Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 42-09 28th Street, 22-84, Queens, New York, NY, 11101, USA.
Molly
M
Remch
Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 42-09 28th Street, 22-84, Queens, New York, NY, 11101, USA.
Amy
A
Edelstein
Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 42-09 28th Street, 22-84, Queens, New York, NY, 11101, USA.
Amina
A
Khawja
Bureau of Sexually Transmitted Disease Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY, USA.|Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Julia A
JA
Schillinger
D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D000067108:Direct-To-Consumer Screening and Testing / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D009519:New York City; D010594:Pharmacies; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D012111:Residence Characteristics
D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
Diagnosis; HIV; Pharmacy; Screening; Self-testing