Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment in Community Pharmacies in Scotland

Many people who use drugs (PWUD) attend community pharmacies for opioid substitution therapy (OST). Clients establish a trusting relationship with their pharmacist, and find it easy to access this service. This presented the National Health Service (NHS) Tayside in Scotland, UK with an opportunity to introduce hepatitis C (HCV) testing and treatment services alongside OST programs.

The Connecting and Care Project of the International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) showed that pharmacy-based HCV testing is an effective way to PWUD community testing and increases linkage to care for affected populations in rural or remote areas.

To learn more about the model, click here.