Charity calls for national roll-out of life saving scheme
A viral hepatitis testing pilot project in 19 pharmacies across the country has found a hepatitis B or C positive patient in every 6 tests conducted.
19 pharmacies in 5 PCT areas offered free, on-demand hepatitis B and C dried blood spot tests to clients who had been at risk of contracting viral hepatitis as part of a 3-month pilot project organised by The Hepatitis C Trust. Across the pharmacies a total of 234 tests were conducted, diagnosing 35 people with hepatitis C (15% of tests) and 4 people with hepatitis B (2% of tests). This is a far higher proportion of hepatitis C positive diagnoses than found in GP surgeries, where 4% of tests find positive hepatitis C patients and 2% of tests find hepatitis B patients.
There are at least 100,000 people in the UK living with undiagnosed hepatitis C, which is often referred to as the ‘silent killer’, and around 180,000 people living with hepatitis B, most of whom are undiagnosed. If left undiagnosed and untreated, these viruses can go on to cause cirrhosis, liver cancer and death.
Charles Gore, Chief Executive of The Hepatitis C Trust said: “It is a tragedy that increasing numbers of people with hepatitis C are dying, often because they have been living with the hepatitis B or C undiagnosed for years, even decades. There are at least 100,000 people living with the hepatitis C unawares but only 8,000 people were diagnosed last year. We desperately need a new approach to testing that will find the undiagnosed patients and this pilot study shows pharmacy testing could be just what is needed.
“If pharmacy testing is rolled out by PCTs and pharmacies nationally, countless lives will be dramatically improved and far fewer people will be left to die needlessly. We are calling on all PCTs to work with pharmacies in their area to offer hepatitis B and C testing in locations where there is likelihood of a high prevalence of people who have been at risk of infection.”
Dev Dalvar from D R Pharmacy in Sandwell PCT commented on the pilot: “Offering hepatitis B and C tests in my pharmacy has been a huge benefit to the local community. The people diagnosed will now be able to access potentially life-saving treatment and many customers are more aware about the viruses and risk factors.
“Diagnosing someone with hepatitis B just a few weeks into the pilot made me realise that viral hepatitis is a serious problem in the local community and offering testing could make a real difference to people’s lives. I hope the pilot project can be rolled out to be a long-term service.”
Gary Warner, Manager of Regent Pharmacy on the Isle of Wight has continued to offer the tests after the end of the pilot scheme and has added HIV and syphilis tests to the viral hepatitis screen: “The results speak for themselves - pharmacies often see a different cohort of people to those who see their GP and therefore we can access and diagnose people who otherwise would not have been tested.
“Locally the scheme has woken a lot of people up to the problem of viral hepatitis and we are now working with local drug and addiction services in a more integrated way than ever before.”
The full report can be downloaded from www.hepctrust.org.uk/pharmacytestingreport
Notes to editors
- Contact:
For interviews and more details please contact Jane Allen on 020 7089 6220, 07779 595609 or jane.allen@hepctrust.org.uk
- About the pilot:
The PCTs involved in the pilot study were: City & Hackney PCT, the Isle of Wight PCT, Nottinghamshire Country PCT, Sandwell PCT and Tameside & Glossop PCT.
Pharmacists displayed posters and gave clients a leaflet about risk factors to read to filter out the ‘worried well’. If a client had been at risk they were offered a test which involved pre-test counselling in a private room or area followed by a dried blood spot test.
Clients returned to the pharmacy 2 weeks later to receive their result and post test counselling (whether positive or negative). If positive, they were sign-posted on to their GP and a letter with the test result was posted to their GP (the patient’s permission for this was requested prior to the test) to ensure follow-up, referral to a specialist and contact tracing where required for hepatitis B. If negative, they were given harm reduction advice to diminish the risk of infection in the future.
Risk factors for hepatitis B and C are:
- Receiving a blood transfusion / blood products / organ transplantation prior to 1991
- Current IV drug use / past IV drug use (including steroids, even once and sharing any injecting equipment)
- Current sniffing or smoking cocaine / past sniffing or smoking cocaine (sharing pipes, notes or straws)
- Unprotected sex (with a person who is known to have hepatitis B or C or may have been at risk, see risk factors above)
- Tattoos / piercings/ Acupuncture (in unregistered premises or with possibly unsterile equipment or with needles that were not new)
- Regularly shared razors or toothbrushes (with a person who is known to have hepatitis B or C or may have been at risk, see risk factors above)
- Born in a high risk country (Asia, Africa, South America, Pacific Islands, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East)
- Medical or dental procedures in a high risk country (Asia, Africa, South America, Pacific Islands, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East)
- Sharps injury (may have been in connection with job if they work in a healthcare setting)
- Contact sports, fights and a human bite (where they may have come in contact with another person’s blood)
- About The Hepatitis C Trust: The Hepatitis C Trust is the national UK charity for hepatitis C. It provides information, support and representation for all those affected by this disease. Started by patients, the majority of its governing Board of Trustees are patients and all of its staff, paid and voluntary, are patients.
The Hepatitis C Trust’s helpline is 0845 223 4424
Information and advice can be found at: www.hepctrust.org.uk
- About hepatitis C:
- Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that predominantly infects the cells of the liver. If left untreated, the virus can cause cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. There is no vaccine but treatment can successfully clear the virus in around half of patients.
- The Health Protection Agency estimate that there are around 170,000 hepatitis C positive people in England and Wales although some estimates put this number as high as 466,000 (The University of Southampton). Around 70,000 people in England and Wales have been diagnosed (Health Protection Agency).
- About hepatitis B:
- Hepatitis B can be transmitted through blood and body fluid contact and therefore is sexually transmitted. A vaccine for hepatitis B is available and treatment is available which can manage but not clear the virus.
- The Health Protection Agency estimate that there are 180,000 people living with hepatitis B in the UK but The Hepatitis B Foundation estimates this figure is actually 320,000 due to recent immigration trends.
- 500 million people worldwide (1 in 12) are currently infected with hepatitis B or C. This is over 10 times the number infected with HIV/AIDS.
- Between them, hepatitis B and C kill 1 million people a year.
- Most of the 500 million infected do not know.
- Celebrities who have been diagnosed with hepatitis C: Dame Anita Roddick, Pamela Anderson, Keith Richards, Anthony Kiedis, Marianne Faithfull, Natalie Cole.
