BREAKING: Scotland Approved PrEP on the NHS

The NHS in Scotland will make HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug 'Truvada' available to people at risk of infection in a move that is expected to see Scotland become the first country within the UK to provide it.

As the BuzzFeed says, The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), which advises the Scottish NHS on the provision of new drugs, said in a statement on Monday that the drug "was accepted to help prevent sexually transmitted HIV-1 infection in adults who are at high risk of being infected ... and should be used in combination with safer sex practices such as using condoms".

The statement added: "Patient groups highlighted that current prevention methods have not managed to reduce the spread of HIV in Scotland over the last ten years."

Despite it comes approximately six months after NHS England promised to give the medication to 10,000 people in a three-year trial south of the border, Scotland's resolution implies that Scottish people will likely receive it earlier.

George Valiotis, chief executive of HIV Scotland, told BuzzFeed News that he anticipated that it would likely take approximately three months for PrEP to be given to patients. He applauded the SMC for its evidence-based decision.

PrEP is already available in several countries, including Norway, France, Canada, South Africa, and the US.