Health Belief Model Interventions in Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): Untapped intervention in the pharmacy arena.

Abstract

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic continues to be a major public health crisis in the United States. Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has emerged as an effective tool to prevent HIV transmission, its uptake and adherence remain suboptimal, especially among high-risk populations. This article explores how the Health Belief Model (HBM) can serve as a guiding framework for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to enhance PrEP delivery and patient engagement. Recent literature highlights persistent barriers to PrEP use, including stigma, perceived risk, misinformation, and healthcare access challenges. The five core components of the HBM-perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action-have been used to understand and design interventions across multiple health behaviors. Studies suggest these components are useful in explaining patient behavior and provider limitations around PrEP, particularly in marginalized communities. While few studies directly apply HBM to PrEP adherence, evidence from related fields supports its predictive power. The HBM offers a promising lens through which pharmacy-based interventions can be developed to address patient beliefs, reduce stigma, and increase PrEP uptake and adherence. Pharmacists, given their accessibility and trusted role in the community, are uniquely positioned to lead these efforts. Incorporating culturally responsive, HBM-informed strategies in pharmacy practice can significantly improve health outcomes in populations most affected by HIV.