By Jeff Henson

APPROACH STUDY

Grande Prairie included in APPROACH study

Jul 6, 2023 | 5:10 PM

Grande Prairie is one of several communities taking part in the APPROACH study.

The study provides residents with free, quick, and confidential testing for HIV, Hepatitis C, and Syphilis through select pharmacies.

Dr. Christine Hughes is a Professor and Dean in the faculty of pharmaceutical studies at the University of Alberta

She says the point of the study is to improve access for people to be able to be screened for these infections, and then be able to link them to care and treatment options.

“We know that a lot of people do not have either a family physician or are not aware of how to access testing, or perhaps even if they know that they may need to be tested. So it is just a way of improving access, and providing a chance for people to know their status and to be able to seek care or treatment.”

She adds they are not targeting any particular part of the population with this study.

“In many cases, people should be screened at least once in their lifetime. It is really about more risk behaviors and opportunities to make people aware about who should be screened, what might put people at higher risk, and also, if people do not have these infections, they will be able to take steps to perhaps prevent transmission in the future.”

Dr Hughes says London Drugs in Grande Prairie is one of the pharmacies selected to provide this free testing until February, 2024.

“We are trying to get good representation across each of the three provinces that we are working in. And looking at both larger centers – so some of the bigger cities as well as smaller communities.”

“We had a site in Grande Prairie that was interested in participating, and it is a region of the province that is quite large in the Northern part of Alberta.”

The testing is also being offered in select parts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

More information can be found online at www.approachstudy.ca.