Chronic Hepatitis C

Equipping you with simple and summarised guidance.

Chronic hepatitis C affects an estimated 20,000 – 25,000 New Zealanders, with perhaps 25% of people with hepatitis C not knowing they have it. Hepatitis C can cause liver cancer, liver failure, and death, so needs to be diagnosed and cured to avoid harm.

The course aims to equip you with a simple and summarised guidance around the following key areas relating to:

• background on liver function and liver conditions including hepatitis C
• risk factors
• diagnosis
• blood tests required
• red flags/referral points
• treatment – glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (Maviret) combination tablet
• stigma
• supporting the patient through treatment.

The course has been developed for a range of health practitioners. It could include details on areas some readers are very familiar with, and others are not. Spend time on the areas you need to learn most from. 

Nurses and pharmacists wanting to provide glecaprevir/pibrentasvir without prescription must meet certain requirements as per the Nursing Council of New Zealand (for nurses) and the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand (for pharmacists).

As part of the credentialing, pharmacists and nurses wanting to provide this service must successfully complete two courses: this course and the follow-on course, Hepatitis C: Implementing non-prescription supply through Nurses and Pharmacists, which is accessible after completion of this general course. These trainings have been endorsed by the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand and the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

At the end of this course there is a test on completion where a 80% mark needs to be achieved to pass. You can have multiple attempts at the tests. When you successfully complete the course, please download your certificate as evidence and store it safely. 

Acknowledgements

Content created by Dr Natalie Gauld (ONZM DipPharm MPharm PhD FPS) and Jo de Lisle (RN and Hepatitis C Programme Manager, Te Manawa Taki, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora), with expert review and input from Professor Ed Gane (Deputy Director, New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit and Chair of the National Hepatitis C Oversight Group), review by Nancy Carey (Community Hepatitis C Nurse Co-ordinator), the Hepatology Nurses Group, the Nursing Council of New Zealand and the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand.

If you have successfully completed this course, you can proceed to Hepatitis C: Implementing non-prescription supply through Nurses and Pharmacists