TELEPrEP AND PEP IN SUS CEARÁ: PHARMACEUTICAL PRACTICE IN TELEHEALTH AS A STRATEGY TO EXPAND COMBINED HIV PREVENTION

Abstract

The incorporation of digital technologies into the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) has promoted advances in healthcare organization, especially in combined HIV prevention. In Ceará, the State Health Department of Ceará (SESA-CE) implemented the TelePrEP and TelePEP services in December 2024 within Telessaúde Ceará, enabling remote care for guidance, clinical evaluation, laboratory test requests, and referrals for pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis to HIV. In this context, pharmaceutical practice in telehealth stands out as a strategy to strengthen clinical pharmaceutical care, promote the rational use of medicines, and expand access to public HIV prevention policies. This study aims to analyze the pharmacist’s role in TelePrEP and TelePEP at SESA-CE as a tool to improve combined HIV prevention in SUS. This is a qualitative, descriptive-analytical study based on document analysis and an integrative review of recent scientific literature (2022–2026). The findings showed that the inclusion of pharmacists in telehealth expands access to prophylaxis, strengthens therapeutic adherence, pharmacotherapeutic monitoring, and health education, while reducing territorial and institutional barriers and HIV-related stigma, thereby reinforcing comprehensive healthcare within SUS Ceará.