Pre-exposure prophylaxis has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission but has the potential to cause harm if not used properly. Pharmacists are well-positioned to foster pre-exposure prophylaxis’s efficacy but little is known whether they would endorse it as an HIV prevention tool.

To determine Canadian HIV pharmacists’ support for pre-exposure prophylaxis and to identify current barriers to promoting pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Canadian pharmacists with experience in HIV care were invited to complete an online survey about their experiences, opinions, and learning needs regarding pre-exposure prophylaxis from December 2012 to January 2013.

Among the 59 surveys received, 48 met criteria for final analysis. Overall, 33 (69%) respondents would provide education positively supporting the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis and 26 (54%) believed Health Canada should approve pre-exposure prophylaxis for use in Canada. Familiarity with the concept of pre-exposure prophylaxis and practice characteristics examined did not appear to be significantly associated with support for pre-exposure prophylaxis in univariable analyses. The principal barriers to promoting pre-exposure prophylaxis included inadequate drug coverage and insufficient knowledge to educate others.

Many Canadian HIV pharmacists would endorse pre-exposure prophylaxis for high-risk patients; however, wider dissemination of information and lower drug costs may be needed to make pre-exposure prophylaxis more widely promoted.