Impact of COVID-19 on Prescribing Trends of Direct-Acting Antivirals for the Treatment of Hepatitis C in Ontario, Canada.
Am J Gastroenterol
; 116(8): 1738-1740, 2021 08 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1444536
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are curative treatments for hepatitis C. However, initiation of these treatments requires adequate healthcare access. Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in restrictions to healthcare services in March 2020. We examined the impact of COVID-19 on the number of individuals dispensed DAAs.METHODS:
This is a cross-sectional study examining the number of individuals dispensed DAAs in Ontario, Canada, from 2018 to 2020. Time-series models determined the impact of healthcare restrictions on DAA dispensations.RESULTS:
Healthcare restrictions resulted in a 49.3% decrease in DAA dispensations (P = 0.026).DISCUSSION:
COVID-19-related healthcare restrictions significantly affected access to DAAs. Studies exploring the long-term effects on reduced treatment are needed.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Antiviral Agents
/
Drug Prescriptions
/
Hepatitis C, Chronic
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
Am J Gastroenterol
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ajg.0000000000001287
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