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Viral hepatitis testing and treatment in community pharmacies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Hayes et al., EClinicalMedicine 2024
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102489
This review and meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of hepatitis B and C testing and treatment programs in community pharmacies, a crucial step towards the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030. Searching through Medline, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Global Health up to November 12, 2023, the study included 27 studies (4 comparative, 23 single arm), primarily focusing on hepatitis C outcomes. The analysis revealed a significant finding: the pooled proportion of hepatitis C antibody positivity was 16.6% among 5,096 participants, with a notably higher rate (32.5%) in targeted testing for individuals with specific risk factors compared to non-targeted methods (4.0%). Furthermore, pharmacy-based pre-treatment assessment attendance rates were significantly higher (92.7%) than referrals to non-pharmacy settings (53.5%). The initiation rate for treatment was 85.6%, showing no significant difference between pharmacy and non-pharmacy settings. This study underscores the potential of pharmacies in enhancing community-based hepatitis C care, highlighting the need for more research on hepatitis B and addressing the limitations of few comparative studies and high heterogeneity.