Volume 6, Issue 3

Eradicating HCV Infection in PWID

In this issue:

As the “opioid epidemic” continues to grow, so does the number of people who inject drugs (PWID) infected with hepatitis C.  Identifying these persons with active substance use disorder and overcoming the barriers preventing them from receiving HCV treatment is imperative to not only reducing their HCV-related morbidity and mortality, but also to preventing HCV transmission. 

In this issue, Dr. Arthur Kim from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School reviews the recent literature answering the question: “How can active injection drug users achieve HCV cure?”

Learning objectives:

  • Describe the outcomes of HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in persons with recent injection drug use.
  • Discuss the effectiveness of “harm reduction” to prevent HCV primary infection for people who inject drugs.
  • Describe barriers to the treatment of HCV for people who inject drugs.

 

Author:

Arthur Y. Kim, MD
Arthur Y. Kim, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Director, Viral Hepatitis Clinic
Division of Infectious Diseases
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts

Program Directors:

Mark S. Sulkowski, MD

Professor of Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases
Medical Director, Viral Hepatitis Center
Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland

Raymond T. Chung, MD

Director of Hepatology and Liver Center
Vice Chief, Gastroenterology
Kevin and Polly Maroni Research Scholar
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

Taryn Haselhuhn, BA, BSN, MSN, CRNP

The Johns Hopkins Hospital
​Baltimore, Maryland

Length of activity:

1.0 hour Physicians
1.0 contact hour Nurses

Launch date: November 30, 2018
Expiration date: November 29, 2020