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Pharmacist-led Hepatitis C Management

NCT04322981 · Status: UNKNOWN · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 108

Last updated 2022-04-27

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) continues to disproportionately affect vulnerable and marginalized persons in Canada. During the interferon treatment era, certain circumstances precluded individuals from receiving treatment, most notably mental health concerns or active substance use. In addition to the tolerability and efficacy of all-oral direct acting antivirals (DAAs), novel diagnostic strategies have also increased engagement in the care cascade. Point-of care and/or dried blood spot antibody as well as RNA testing allow for diagnosis without the need for phlebotomy, a major barrier for those with a history of past or current injection drug use. Despite these advances in diagnostic streamlining and increased cure rates, engagement post-diagnosis continues to be a major gap. Although the exact mechanism of HCV acquisition may not be clear - people who inject drugs, persons who are street-involved or low-income, or persons who are difficult-to-reach for other reasons, often experience both structural and geographic challenges to obtaining care. Community pharmacists may be the first point of contact for higher risk populations and may avoid testing and/or treatment for fear of judgement or poor treatment in hospital/specialist settings. While studies have demonstrated the feasibility of treating people receiving opioid against therapy (OAT), it remains unclear whether Canadian pharmacists can safely and effectively screen, and/or confirm HCV, work-up patients for HCV treatment, and prescribe with minimal oversight. If this model proves successful, it may have global utility especially in areas of the world where pharmacists are the initial point of contact for healthcare issues. The aim of this study is to determine whether being tested and linked care and treatment will be more effective in a community pharmacy than a referral to a tertiary care hospital for management of HCV among people on stable OAT, or other populations who experience barriers to care but use community pharmacy services.

Conditions

  • Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Pharmacist-Led care

Rapid testing in a community pharmacy, with rapid linkage to care and treatment that is pharmacist-led

BEHAVIORAL

Standard of Care (Hepatology)

Rapid testing in a community pharmacy, with standard of care referral to academic hepatology

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University Health Network, Toronto

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2022-04-13
Primary Completion
2023-06-01
Completion
2023-12-01

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04322981 on ClinicalTrials.gov