Background: There is a need to improve access to HIV testing to detect infections earlier so individuals can access care and prevent transmission. Barriers to testing include limited access or reluctance to go to traditional testing sites, and the lengthy wait time to receive results. Pharmacists are trusted, accessible health providers and are well positioned to offer HIV testing. Point of care tests (POCT) for HIV are easy to administer and results available within minutes, making them ideal for use in the pharmacy setting. HIV POCT may overcome barriers to standard testing for those at high risk and in healthcare resource-limited settings. Preliminary data suggest pharmacist-administered POCT can reach those who have never had an HIV test. Implementation and effectiveness of pharmacist-delivered POCT is the focus of this study. Study goals: To determine whether a multi-faceted HIV POCT program adapted for community pharmacies in two Canadian provinces is acceptable, feasible and effective in reaching those at high risk and those who have never been tested. Implementation and effectiveness of an integrated, contextualized model of HIV POCT in urban and rural pharmacies in Newfoundland (NL) and Alberta (AB) will be assessed, in addition to preliminary costing analysis. . Methods: The investigators will use a Type II Hybrid Implementation-Effectiveness study design. The research team will be supported by an advisory committee comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders (community members, individuals with lived experience, pharmacists and other health professionals, and public health decision makers). Advisory committee and research team meetings will be held to foster team development, inform adaptation of an HIV POCT model for the pharmacy environment, and identify supports to implementation. Emphasis will be placed on establishing individualized linkage to care plans for each pharmacy utilizing existing community resources to quickly connect clients who have a reactive POCT result with support and confirmatory testing. Pharmacies in NL and AB will be selected to offer HIV POCT based on motivation, private space and staffing, and linkage to care opportunities. Pharmacists will receive training and ongoing support from the research team. A 6-month pilot of the POCT program will be implemented in at least one urban and one rural pharmacy in NL and AB. Clients may request an HIV test by appointment or walk in during advertised pharmacy HIV testing hours. Clients will provide informed consent, and will receive pre/post-test counselling in addition to administration of the POCT. Demographic data and surveys assessing the testing experience will be collected. Clients may participate in a telephone survey to provide further feedback on the program. Pharmacists will document time and resources for each test administered. Pharmacists, staff and managers will participate in focus groups to assess barriers, enablers and attitudes regarding POCT. Evaluation: Implementation will be assessed using qualitative and quantitative methods. The process of developing and implementing the POCT program will be described from qualitative data and a program logic model constructed. Acceptability, barriers and enablers will be identified qualitatively and from survey responses (primarily quantitative). Descriptive statistics and performance measures (satisfaction, acceptability) from pharmacists, staff and clients will be analysed; within and between settings variations assessed using non-parametric analyses. Bivariate analyses will assess relationships between pharmacy setting or pharmacist characteristics, and sustainability. Effectiveness will be assessed using descriptive statistics to describe client outcomes and satisfaction. Bivariate and multivariate analyses will assess influence of client characteristics on outcomes and satisfaction. Preliminary costing assessment will consider the client, pharmacy and government perspective. Impact: This study will inform further modifications to the pharmacy HIV POCT model to optimize effectiveness and increase scalability prior to full adoption and implementation. This will form the basis for a subsequent grant application. Knowledge gained can be used to scale up effective testing programs to increase the number of high risk individuals getting tested. The pharmacy is a novel venue to offer HIV testing, and if successful could be a widely accessible option applicable to other provinces and other countries. This study will provide proof of concept for pharmacy based POCT for other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) (once tests become available) and successful implementation may also lead to pharmacist-delivered pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) programs, to further reduce HIV infection rates.