The federal government is failing to provide Australians with a life saving preventative HIV medication, Victoria's health minister says.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a way for people who don't have HIV to prevent infection by taking a pill every day.
But despite evidence showing the drug is 96-98 per cent effective when taken consistently, it's not yet on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
A Victorian first trial of almost 4000 people has been extended through a cash injection of $100,000 to include the 600 people currently on the waiting list, the government said on Friday.
The state's Health Minister Jill Hennessy said it was disappointing that the federal government was failing to respond to calls to fund access to the drug.
"The federal Liberal government are delaying and refusing to take the action required to make this life-saving drug more affordable and accessible for people at risk of HIV," Ms Hennessy said.
"PrEP is critical to achieving our goal of virtual elimination of new HIV infections by 2020 but we can't do it alone."
