23 February 23

Ending HIV

What to do if you misplace or forget your treatment during WorldPride

Sometimes, even with the most meticulous planning, things go awry. The bags with your meds inside don’t turn up at the carousel, or you packed the wrong pill bottles. Whatever the reason, you don’t have your treatment, so now what. Don’t worry, we can help. Read on for our guide on what to do if you’ve forgotten to bring your meds to this WorldPride, and how to manage a missed dose.

If you are travelling to Sydney and you forgot your treatment (ARVs)

Whether it’s misplaced or forgotten, here’s what you can do to make sure you can access your medication.

Interstate travellers

If you’ve travelled from interstate, first, see if you can contact your usual pharmacy where your treatment scripts are routinely dispensed and ask them to forward any medication repeats to a nearby pharmacy in Sydney. It may also be possible for your treating doctor to fax a script to a pharmacy of your choice.

Failing that, Aussies from interstate can access treatment via NSW sexual health clinics with a doctor and be helped to receive treatment through Medicare without cost. Provisions have been made to assist those needing treatment during Sydney WorldPride, and centres such as The Albion Centre are ready to help.

Otherwise, you can use our ‘where to get tested tool’ to find a sexual health clinic near you. We recommend calling ahead to ensure they have a doctor to meet your needs.

International travellers

In this case, we recommend you visit The Albion Centre in Surry Hills, as they have a doctor and pharmacy and are ready to help international travellers access treatment. You’ll be able to see a doctor and have your medication dispensed all at one location. There may be a fee involved; however, they will work with you and assist with any related insurance claims and make sure you have enough medication for your stay.

Missed a dose, and it’s within 14 hours of when you usually take your meds

If you have your treatment handy but missed a dose, consider how much time has passed. If it’s within 14 hours of when you’d usually take your meds, you can go ahead and take them now.

Missed a dose, and it’s more than 14 hours from when you’d usually take your meds

Getting caught in the moment happens, so if it’s been more than 14 hours, hold off taking your medication and instead take it the next day at the usual time. Do not take a double dose of the medication. That’s all there is to it!

If you regularly miss a lot of your medication or find it hard to take them as prescribed, talk to your doctor or a peer about finding a better way to remember. Taking your medications irregularly can lead to your current treatments no longer controlling the virus. While you can come back from a situation where a particular class of medication has become ineffective, this can all be stressful and would not be the best way to manage your health.

HIV support services

If you have other questions about HIV or need more help with your treatment, you can consider getting in touch with one of these services:

NSW Sexual Health Infolink

Infoline for general questions about HIV and sexual health for anyone in NSW.

Call: 1800 451 624

The Albion Centre

A healthcare facility in Surry Hills that provides specialist care for people living with HIV

Call: 02 9332 9600
Website: www.thealbioncentre.org.au

We hope you have a fabulous WorldPride. Whatever you get up to, do it safely and with love!