Impact of COVID-19 on Prescribing Trends of Direct-Acting Antivirals for the Treatment of Hepatitis C in Ontario, Canada.
cross_sectional · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34587128.
- Also identified by DOI 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001287.
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Abstract
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. 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. Healthcare restrictions resulted in a 49.3% decrease in DAA dispensations (P = 0.026). COVID-19-related healthcare restrictions significantly affected access to DAAs. Studies exploring the long-term effects on reduced treatment are needed.
Medical subject headings
- Antiviral Agents
- COVID-19
- Drug Prescriptions
- Hepatitis C, Chronic