Mixed views on hepatitis C prescribing in USA

In the USA, in contrast to surveyed managed care organization (MCO) pharmacy directors’ notable support for primary care physicians (PCPs) treating patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), the majority of surveyed specialists are wary of PCPs treating this patient population, according to a new report from health care advisory firm Decision Resources.

Less than one-third of surveyed specialists are supportive of PCPs prescribing currently available HCV regimens, and slightly less than half support the idea of PCPs prescribing oral, interferon (IFN)-free regimens, underscoring specialists’ low confidence in PCPs’ ability to manage HCV patients in the current treatment environment.

The new US Physician & Payer Forum report, titled PCPs in an IFN-Free World: How Will the Availability of Safer and More Effective Oral Therapies Impact the Role of PCPs in Treating HCV Patients?, finds that 35% of specialists maintain that HCV patients should not be treated by PCPs, but instead should be treated by specialists in all cases. Additionally, 45% of surveyed specialists think the “ideal” HCV patient for treatment by a PCP would be one who is newly diagnosed or treatment-naive with minimal or no fibrosis or other complications, thus requiring straightforward treatment with less monitoring, versus treatment that is required for sicker patients.