Hepatitis C Treatment: Fact Sheet

Hepatitis C Treatment: Fact Sheet

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Hepatitis C Treatment FACT SHEET

  1. Contact the clinic location nearest to you, during regular business hours.
  2. Required to have a valid health card.
  3. Inform the staff in the clinics that you are here for information about Hepatitis C Treatment.

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Overview of the treatment:

  1. All clients will be tested for Hepatitis C
  2. If they are Hepatitis C positive, they MUST be tested for the type of Hepatitis C and the amount of Virus (Genotype/Viral Load):
    There are two possible results – the bloodwork will come back with both GT and a Viral Load OR the Viral Load will be “undetected” (meaning that it is either too early to detect, or their body has cleared the virus themselves).
    TIP: Should re-test at 6 months if the results are “undetected”
  3. If an active virus is present we need to do more bloodwork to find out how much fibrosis is in the liver.
    Currently in our clinics we are testing via a blood test (there is also a Fibroscan which can be used (similar to an ultrasound, but test is not covered by OHIP) – if the bloodwork comes back with a Fibroscore of 2 or higher – both private and public insurance is apt to cover all the treatment costs.
  4. If F2 or higher, clinic will make a referral for an ultra sound.
  5. Clinic will then send documentation requesting approval for medication coverage.
  6. After approval is received by clinic, the client will then start on the treatment.

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Pharmacological Information:

Depending on the type of Hepatitis C, previous treatment, and level of cirrhosis will dictate the length of treatment – current treatment can run as little as 8 weeks and as long as 24 weeks.

Please contact your local clinic for further details.