Author information
1Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359780 - 325 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA. jtsui@uw.edu.
2Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
3HIV/STD Program, Public Health - Seattle & King County, Seattle, WA, USA.
4Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
5Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
6Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, Health Services Research & Development, VA Puget Sound, Seattle, WA, USA.
7Department of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
8Kelley-Ross Pharmacy Group, Seattle, WA, USA.
9Hepatitis Education Project, Seattle, WA, USA.
10Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359780 - 325 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA.
11Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Abstract
Background: The advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs)-a form of hepatitis C (HCV) treatment associated with shorter treatment course and greater efficacy-offers an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate HCV, but only if care delivery systems are developed to extend treatment to people who inject drugs (PWID). To support the design of a community-pharmacy program, we explored perspectives of PWID with chronic HCV with regard to barriers, motivators, preferences, and prior experiences related to HCV treatment and pharmacists.
Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with people living with HCV who reported active injection drug use. Participants were recruited from local community service and clinical organizations in the Seattle, Washington region, and focus groups and interviews were conducted in-person or via phone/video-conference. Rapid Assessment Process was used to analyze qualitative data. Dual coders used structured templates to summarize findings and engaged in iterative review to identify themes.
Results: Among the 40 participants, 65% were male, 52.5% were white, and 80% were not stably housed. On average, participants had been injecting drugs for 14 years and living with HCV for 6 years. Analyses revealed 3 themes: (1) limited knowledge regarding HCV and DAA treatments; (2) barriers/motivators for receiving treatment included fear of side effects, prior stigmatizing behaviors from physicians, and desire to protect relatives and the PWID community from HCV transmission; and (3) preferences for HCV care delivery, including a need for person-centered, low-barrier, and collaborative treatment integrated with other care (e.g. primary care and addiction treatment) for PWID. Participants were generally receptive to a community-pharmacy model for HCV treatment, but prior interactions with pharmacists were mixed and there were some concerns expressed that care delivered by pharmacists would not be equivalent to that of physicians.
Conclusions: Even in the direct-acting antivirals era, people who inject drugs still face major barriers to hepatitis C treatment which may be reduced by providing low-barrier points of access for care through pharmacists. Key recommendations for community-pharmacy design included providing care team training to reduce stigma and ensuring care team structures and culture target PWID-specific needs for education and engagement.