All three programmes, including longer operating time and therefore more robust results. Our aim is to evaluate the feasibility of offering in-pharmacy rapid HIV testing as part of everyday routine and its ability to promote diagnosis in three Spanish regions with different sociological profiles and also different epidemiology for HIV. We will establish a comparison between the outcomes of each programme and those of each qhw.v5i4.5120 regional surveillance system on new HIV diagnosis (RHSS), assessing whether priority population groups are being reached and its contribution to the overall new diagnoses in each region.MethodsThe data analysed here comes from a 4 year period of operation of the Basque programme (2009?013), three years of the Catalonian (2009?012) and two years of the one in Castilla y Leon (2011?013). Altogether, 110 pharmacies participated in the three programmes: 16 in Castilla y Le , 46 in the Basque Country and 48 in Catalonia. (Fig 1) In Castilla y Le , the pharmacies were located in the provincial capital cities except one which was located in the second largest city of a province (Ponferrada). In the Basque Country, the 46 pharmacies were distributed not only in the provincial capitals, but also in other cities across the region. In the Catalan programme, 12 pharmacies were located in the two main cities of the province of Tarragona (Tarragona and Reus) and 36 neighbouring towns to buy Shikonin Barcelona city. Spain has a regulated pharmacy system where pharmacy chains are not allowed (the owner of a pharmacy must be a pharmacist and each pharmacist can only own one pharmacy). The number of inhabitants per pharmacy was of approximately 2200 in 2013, and pnas.1408988111 the 87 of the population has a pharmacy in a range of under 250 meters.[21]. All the participant pharmacies were required to have enough space to ensure privacy, personal attention and confidentiality. The immediate response to demand and service continuity should also be guaranteed. The pharmacists received basic training in HIV testing and counselling in order to enable them to perform the test without the need of ancillary personal. The roll-out of the programmes was advertised by press conferences and press releases. Posters and leaflets with information about each programme and data on the participating pharmacies were distributed to all pharmacies in each region. The information was also available on the official websites of the Regional Governments and the Professional Associations of Pharmacists. All the participating pharmacies HIV-1 integrase inhibitor 2 site exhibited a distinctive showing their participation in the initiative. Thus, all customers entering the pharmacy were informed about the possibility of testing for HIV. The test was available during the pharmacies’ business hours for everyone over 16 years old. In Castilla y Leon and the Basque Country, the client had to pay 5 euros to cover the costs of the materials and the Administration paid the pharmacists for their time and effort. In the casePLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0134631 August 6,3 /In-Pharmacy Rapid HIV Testing. Programmes EvaluationFig 1. Distribution of the participating pharmacies on three rapid HIV testing programmes. Spain (2009?013). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134631.gof the Catalonian programme, the client paid 10 euros to the pharmacist and the Administration funded the materials (the test, the lancet, etc.). Blood collected via finger prick was tested using the Determine HIV-1/2 test (this test has a sensitivity of 100 and a s.All three programmes, including longer operating time and therefore more robust results. Our aim is to evaluate the feasibility of offering in-pharmacy rapid HIV testing as part of everyday routine and its ability to promote diagnosis in three Spanish regions with different sociological profiles and also different epidemiology for HIV. We will establish a comparison between the outcomes of each programme and those of each qhw.v5i4.5120 regional surveillance system on new HIV diagnosis (RHSS), assessing whether priority population groups are being reached and its contribution to the overall new diagnoses in each region.MethodsThe data analysed here comes from a 4 year period of operation of the Basque programme (2009?013), three years of the Catalonian (2009?012) and two years of the one in Castilla y Leon (2011?013). Altogether, 110 pharmacies participated in the three programmes: 16 in Castilla y Le , 46 in the Basque Country and 48 in Catalonia. (Fig 1) In Castilla y Le , the pharmacies were located in the provincial capital cities except one which was located in the second largest city of a province (Ponferrada). In the Basque Country, the 46 pharmacies were distributed not only in the provincial capitals, but also in other cities across the region. In the Catalan programme, 12 pharmacies were located in the two main cities of the province of Tarragona (Tarragona and Reus) and 36 neighbouring towns to Barcelona city. Spain has a regulated pharmacy system where pharmacy chains are not allowed (the owner of a pharmacy must be a pharmacist and each pharmacist can only own one pharmacy). The number of inhabitants per pharmacy was of approximately 2200 in 2013, and pnas.1408988111 the 87 of the population has a pharmacy in a range of under 250 meters.[21]. All the participant pharmacies were required to have enough space to ensure privacy, personal attention and confidentiality. The immediate response to demand and service continuity should also be guaranteed. The pharmacists received basic training in HIV testing and counselling in order to enable them to perform the test without the need of ancillary personal. The roll-out of the programmes was advertised by press conferences and press releases. Posters and leaflets with information about each programme and data on the participating pharmacies were distributed to all pharmacies in each region. The information was also available on the official websites of the Regional Governments and the Professional Associations of Pharmacists. All the participating pharmacies exhibited a distinctive showing their participation in the initiative. Thus, all customers entering the pharmacy were informed about the possibility of testing for HIV. The test was available during the pharmacies’ business hours for everyone over 16 years old. In Castilla y Leon and the Basque Country, the client had to pay 5 euros to cover the costs of the materials and the Administration paid the pharmacists for their time and effort. In the casePLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0134631 August 6,3 /In-Pharmacy Rapid HIV Testing. Programmes EvaluationFig 1. Distribution of the participating pharmacies on three rapid HIV testing programmes. Spain (2009?013). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134631.gof the Catalonian programme, the client paid 10 euros to the pharmacist and the Administration funded the materials (the test, the lancet, etc.). Blood collected via finger prick was tested using the Determine HIV-1/2 test (this test has a sensitivity of 100 and a s.