Advancing Service Integration in Opioid Treatment Progams for the Care and Treatment of Hepatitis C Infection

It is estimated that approximately 200 million people globally are infected with the hepatitis C virus and that roughly half of these people live in Asia. Without treatment, it is estimated that roughly twenty percent of those infected with hepatitis C virus progress to chronic liver disease, then subsequently, end-stage liver disease. Thus, access to hepatitis C testing and subsequent care and treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection are essential to address the global burden of disease. In the United States, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 60% of new cases of hepatitis infection are due to injection drug use. Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP’s) dispense methadone and buprenorphine under specific federal regulations to injection drug users diagnosed with opioid dependence. OTPs are developing comprehensive care and treatment model programs that integrate general medical and infectious disease-related medical care with substance abuse and mental health services. Integrating hepatitis care services and treatment in the substance abuse treatment settings foster access to care for patients with hepatitis C infection, many who otherwise would not receive needed care and treatment. This may serve as a national model for highly cost-efficient healthcare that has a measurable outcome of improved public health with reduced hepatitis C prevalence.