Kandis Backus
Project Proposal: The Community Fight Against HIV Contraction by Using Community Pharmacists to Screen for HIV and Administer Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
“Mississippi is currently ranked fourth in new HIV diagnoses. Pharmacists are easily accessible and have the skills and knowledge to help prevent new cases.”
Dr. Backus graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy and is a PGY1 community pharmacy resident at Walgreens Pharmacy in Jackson, MS. As part of her residency, she spends half of her day in a specialty HIV treatment and prevention services clinic. The goals of her study are to establish a collaborative practice agreement (CPA) for Walgreens HIV Specialized Community Pharmacy in Jackson for HIV testing, to design an educational outreach program targeted for pharmacists and patients, and to expand access to PrEP.
The project Kandis Backus proposed demonstrates an opportunity for pharmacists to engage in public health. She believes that “pharmacists can help by providing HIV testing and medication to prevent HIV. I’m excited about the opportunity to show that pharmacists are more than just medication dispensers.”