A Bitter Pill to Swallow: Why Medication Safety Is Critical in Hepatitis C Treatment.

Abstract

Purpose: To provide medication safety tips to optimize the management of patients receiving treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Summary: Ensuring safe medication use in patients who receive treatment for HCV infection is a crucial component in providing optimal patient care. Because of the complexity of available treatment options, numerous challenges exist in preventing medication errors with HCV therapies. This article will focus on the selection of appropriate treatment options along with proper dosing and duration, awareness of concomitant disease states and drug interactions, identifying adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and patient counseling points, the provision of adherence counseling and prevention of treatment interruptions, improving communication with patients and between pharmacies, and recognizing the importance of a multidisciplinary approach.

Conclusion: Maintaining awareness of medication safety strategies geared toward HCV pharmacotherapy is critical for providing optimal care for patients while minimizing the opportunity for errors.