Hepatitis C
June 15, 2010
Following on from 2010 National
Hepatitis Awareness Week (17-24
May), the Pharmacy Guild of Australia
has developed a community service
announcement to air nationally
throughout June.
The aim is to raise awareness that
community pharmacy is a valuable
source of information and advice on
hepatitis C and is an environment
that supports confidentiality and is
free of stigma.
The television message says in part:
“Over 200,000 Australians are living
with hepatitis C. It can go undiagnosed
without obvious symptoms for many
years…blood to blood contact puts
you at risk of having hepatitis C...Get
tested. Get treated.”
Community pharmacies are ideally
placed to help promote awareness
and offer support to people with
hepatitis C, and to those who have
yet to seek diagnosis, advice or
treatment.
Increased treatment rates have the
potential to lead to decreased
mortality rates; improved quality of
life with reduced transmission
through prevention activities; and
reduced prevalence of hepatitis C in
the community.
These objectives are all in line with
the recently endorsed Third National
Hepatitis C Strategy 2010-2013.
Further information and resources
relating to hepatitis can be found at
Hepatitis Australia
www.hepatitisaustralia.com.
This initiative was actioned through
the Hepatitis C Public Health
Promotion Pilot Program, funded by
the Australian Government
Department of Health and Ageing as
part of the Fourth Community
Pharmacy Agreement.
The program invited 320
pharmacies to participate from
January – May 2010, targeting areas
identified with a high prevalence of
hepatitis C.
The key aim of the program was to
raise awareness of the risk factors for
transmission of hepatitis C and to
assist in informing consumers that
testing is a simple blood test at their
GPs and there is treatment available.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 15 Jun 10To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 15 Jun 10