86075 - Curing hepatitis C: Your role as a GP

This module will educate GPs on how to assess their patients with hepatitis C prior to initiating treatment and assist with the selection of appropriate direct acting antiviral therapy.

Relevance to General Practice

More than 74,000 Victorians currently live with the hepatitis C virus. Previously, only 1.3% of people living with hepatitis C received treatment; left untreated, chronic hepatitis C can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and death. However, since March this year, several new direct acting antivirals to treat hepatitis C have been made available on the PBS General Schedule. This means that these medications can now be prescribed by general practitioners (in consultation with a specialist) and supplied by community pharmacies. As a result, more people with hepatitis C can be treated and cured. This online module will update GPs on these new treatments and assist them in managing their patients with hepatitis C.

Learning outcomes

To define the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C and its genotypes and describe the tests required to make this diagnosis.

To identify liver disease complicated by cirrhosis.?

To describe an approach to managing mild-to-moderate chronic hepatitis C in primary care.

To list the medication options for managing chronic hepatitis C in primary care taking into consideration contraindications and comorbidities and a frame work

To perform drug interaction checks using the University of Liverpool’s hepatitis drug interactions tool.