OUR WORK IN HEPATITIS B&C
SUPPORTING THE WORKFORCE NUMBER OF ASHM-TRAINED COMMUNITY HEPATITIS B S100 PRESCRIBERS BY JURISDICTION The hepatitis B prescriber program provides initial training, ongoing support and continuing professional development activities for general practitioners prescribing Highly Specialised Drugs for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. 2013-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016
2016-2017
2017-2018
ACT
2
3
10
19
16
NSW
30
43
63
91
107
NT
30
30
31
37
41
QLD
-
-
2
14
46
SA
2
2
22
19
20
VIC
-
-
-
20
28
WA
-
-
14
29
33
TAS
-
-
-
2
2
TOTAL
64
78
141
236
293
The hepatitis B prescriber program was externally evaluated by Zest Health Consultants in 2018. Stakeholders provided almost universal praise for the program’s implementation and reported a high degree of relevance and effectiveness of the program. Feedback for inclusion from National HBV Prescriber Program Evaluation ‘It has been brilliant. Management [of patients with CHB] in my clinic would not be done nearly as well [without the prescriber program] – our GPs would have less knowledge and capacity; less confidence and less external support.’ GP prescriber [4], urban area
‘The training has changed my practice across the spectrum, from testing [undiagnosed priority populations] to monitoring and antiviral management [of people with CHB].’ GP prescriber [8], regional area
HEPATITIS C TREATMENT IN PRISONS FORUM
‘‘The course is targeted just right – enough complexity that it was told at level of doctors, but not too much unnecessary detail. It provided the key information that would be practically useful.’ GP prescriber [11], remote area
ASHM-TRAINED COMMUNITY HEPATITIS B PRESCRIBERS A number of interviewed stakeholders described the important role that ASHM has played in leading and generating buy-in for expanded investment in community-based care for hepatitis B: ‘No government was looking at it as a priority. The community sector was starting to wake up, but none of it would have happened without the indefatigable efforts of key ASHM staff at the time. They were very successful in getting it on the agenda and convening with [key stakeholders such as] the Cancer Council.’ Specialist [2]
PHN representative was impressed by ASHM’s level of engagement and localisation: “They’re very receptive to involving us. Especially since they’re Australia-wide, I’m always impressed by how much capacity they have to put a local slant on their delivery. They work tirelessly to do that.”
ASHM held a Hepatitis C Treatment in Prisons Forum in Brisbane aimed at bringing together health professionals from across Queensland who work in correctional settings and provide in-reach services for viral hepatitis. They discussed models of care, challenges and solutions in moving towards the elimination of hepatitis C from Queensland correctional centres. Prison populations have a high prevalence of hepatitis C worldwide, with results from the most recent National Prison Entrants’ Blood-borne Virus Survey indicating a prevalence of 22% across Australian prisons. Prior to the release of new, direct-acting antivirals (DAA) in March 2016, treatment uptake was extremely low in Australian correctional centres. Improved treatment options now provide an opportunity to scale up treatment in the prison setting. However, Queensland has seen a variable treatment uptake across its fourteen correctional centres. One outstanding example has been Lotus Glen prison in Cairns where a rapid DAA scale-up program has been successful in clearing the estimated hepatitis C prevalence from approximately 12% to 1% in less than 12 months. Similar success was reported by the team from Capricornia prison during the Forum. https://www.ashm.org.au/news/behind-bars/
ASHM ANNUAL REPORT 2017-2018 | ASHM.ORG.AU | 15