Hep B community dispensing
July 29, 2014
AN expert has called for
legislation regarding dispensing
of hepatitis B treatment to be
amended to allow dispensing at
community pharmacies, regardless
of where it was prescribed.
Recent research showed that a
quarter of a million Australians
have entered the ‘liver danger
zone’, where middle age
accelerated the impact of viral
hepatitis, Hepatitis Australia said.
The research found that hepatitis-related
liver disease resulted in
almost 1,000 deaths this year and
that 5% of people with hepatitis B
and 1% of those with hepatitis C
were receiving treatment.
Royal Melbourne Hospital
Associate Professor Ben Cowie said
it was vital for people with hepatitis
B and C to have regular liver
check ups and that they received
appropriate treatment to prevent
progress to liver cirrhosis, liver
failure or liver cancer.
He said a real barrier to
treatment, particularly with
hepatitis B, was that most patients
had to go to hospital pharmacies to
fill their script as part of an ongoing
treatment.
Hepatitis B should see the
same change in legislation that
PBS subsidised HIV antiretroviral
therapies had, where from July
next year, these could be dispensed
through a pharmacy of the patient’s
choice, regardless of where they
were prescribed, he said.
There were new, highly effective
and well tolerated treatments
coming through for hepatitis C,
and once regulatory approval and
funding were secured, these should
also be available from community
pharmacies, he said.
Hepatitis Australia said low
awareness among healthcare
practitioners, low community
awareness of the need for regular
follow ups and lack of service
provision were barriers to regular
liver check ups.
Hepatitis Australia had presented
the research to state, territory
and federal politicians to urge
investment in health services,
equipment and training needed
to ensure regular liver check ups
became the standard of care for
people with hepatitis, it said.
Read the research HERE.
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