Please note: This is the pharmacology version of the course: Medical Updates in Hepatitis C: Advances in Treatment and Outcomes N371B. Click here to take the general version (no pharmacology CEs).

Course Summary

Expiration Date: 02/02/2029

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a major global and U.S. health challenge, contributing to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, extrahepatic complications, and preventable deaths. The advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has revolutionized care, offering cure rates above 95% with shorter, safer regimens. This course reviews updated data on HCV epidemiology, transmission, and disease progression, with emphasis on current treatment standards, simplified regimens, and management of special populations such as patients with cirrhosis, renal disease, or HIV coinfection. Guidance on laboratory interpretation, monitoring, and retreatment is provided, alongside strategies for interprofessional collaboration to improve access and outcomes. A case study illustrates the broader benefits of HCV eradication, including diabetes remission, underscoring the importance of comprehensive, patient-centered care.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Prevalence and Societal Impact of Hepatitis C
  • Pathophysiology and Disease Course
  • Modes of Transmission and Risk Determinants
  • Treatment of Hepatitis C
    • Historical Context
    • Current Standard of Care
    • Current DAA Regimens
    • Simplified Treatment
    • Special Populations
    • Retreatment After Failure
    • Comorbidities and Drug–Drug Interactions
    • Monitoring During and After Therapy
    • Interprofessional Collaboration
    • Roles and Responsibilities
    • Systems Supporting Collaboration
  • CASE STUDY: DIABETES REMISSION AFTER HEPATITIS C ERADICATION
    • Background
    • Case Presentation
    • Before and After DAA Comparison
    • Course During and After Therapy
    • Discussion
  • Summary

Authors

Richard Daniels, PharmD, BCPS

Richard “Cole” Daniels earned his Doctor of Pharmacy(PharmD) from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of Montana in 2018. Throughout pharmacy school he completed a 3-year internship at Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana in which he gained valuable experience in an acute care setting. Cole currently serves as a psychiatric clinical staff pharmacist at the Montana State Hospital. He has over 11 years of pharmacy experience having worked in several settings including retail, acute care, and inpatient psychiatric care. Cole has a diverse set of interests. However, acute care medicine, infectious disease, pain management, and asthma/COPD are a primary focus of his at the Montana State Hospital. He obtained board certification as a certified pharmacotherapy specialist in the Spring of 2022.

Elisabeth Gordon, BScPharm, RPh

Elisabeth Gordon earned her BSc(Pharm) from the University of British Columbia in 2004. After graduation, she worked in community retail pharmacies on Vancouver Island, before returning to her rural hometown of Salmon Arm. In 2016 and 2017, Elisabeth trained with Pallium Canada and Victoria Hospice to enhance her knowledge of end-of-life-care and palliative services. She is a volunteer medical supervisor for T1DOutreach, a peer support platform for adults living with type 1 diabetes, and a member of a Canadian peer support group for adults living with Birdshot Uveitis. Elisabeth enjoys working in a small, fast-paced rural pharmacy where she brings compassion and empathy to her everyday practice.