Eliminating Hepatitis C Among Persons with Opioid Use Disorder

Pre-Conference Speaker(s)

• AL

  Alain Litwin, MD, MPH (he/him/his)

  Vice Chair of Academics and Research, Department of Medicine
  Prisma Health, Clemson University and University of South Carolina School of Medicine - Greenville
  Greenville, South Carolina
• AT

  Andrew Talal, MD, MPH

  Professor, Department of Medicine
  University of Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
  Buffalo, New York
• 

  Jessica Blose, LMHC, SUDP, NCC, CCMHC (she/her/hers)

  Washington State Opioid Treatment Authority and Manager of Behavioral Health Clinical Supports
  Washington State Health Care Authority
  Olympia, Washington
• 

  Colleen Flanigan, RN, MS

  Bureau Director
  New York State Department of Health
  Albany, New York
• 

  Kirsten Forseth, MPH (she/her/hers)

  Associate Director
  NASTAD
  Baltimore, Maryland
• 

  Laura Maroldo, PA-C

  Chief, Physician Assistant
  West Midtown Medical Group
  New York, New York

Presentation Summary: Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) play an important role in the elimination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the US and globally, by providing substance use disorder treatment services to thousands of individuals each year. Many people infected with HCV have co-occurring substance use disorders (i.e., injection drug use-IDU). IDU accounts for 68% to 80% of all HCV infections in the world. The increase in opioid use in the US has resulted in an increase in the number of new HCV infections. Many State Hepatitis C Elimination Plans have identified persons who inject drugs (PWID) and substance use disorder treatment programs as priority populations and settings in the work towards eliminating HCV.

Despite the availability of highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for HCV infection, treatment uptake in PWID and patients in OTPs is still low despite treatment guidelines that advocate the use of DAAs in all patients. HCV treatment outcomes in PWID and patients in OTPs are like those in patients without a history of injecting drugs, supporting current guideline recommendations to treat HCV in these patient populations.

This pre-conference session will provide a review of current clinical guidelines and evidence that supports HCV testing and treatment among persons with opioid use disorder. The session will also provide best practice models for providing HCV testing and treatment onsite at OTPs, including the use of tele-health. The workshop will describe work being done in states to build capacity for HCV services within OTPs. The session will close with an opportunity for participants to discuss the barriers they have faced when considering offering HCV treatment within their OTPs and identify solution to those barriers.

Presentations:

• What do we need to achieve HCV elimination in the United States?
  

  Pre-Conference Speaker: Alain H. Litwin, MD, MPH (he/him/his) – Prisma Health, Clemson University and University of South Carolina School of Medicine - Greenville
• Facilitated Telemedicine to Promote Hepatitis C Elimination
  

  Pre-Conference Speaker: Andrew Talal, MD, MPH – University of Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
• Best Practice Model: Eliminating HCV in an OTP Setting
  

  Pre-Conference Speaker: Laura Maroldo, PA-C – West Midtown Medical Group
• New York State's Collaborations with Opioid Treatment Programs
  

  Pre-Conference Speaker: Colleen Flanigan, RN, MS – New York State Department of Health