TY - JOUR
T1 - Peer-Delivered Hepatitis C Testing and Health Screening Provided in a Community Pharmacy Setting
T2 - Proof of Concept
AU - Sankla, Neha
AU - Cottington, Ray
AU - Cowie, Chris
AU - Huggett, Paul
AU - Reid, Leila
AU - Smith, Stuart
AU - Daly, Sorcha
AU - Morris, Danny
AU - Spear, James
AU - Marsden, Amanda
AU - Richards, David
AU - Halford, Rachel
AU - Walter, Scott R
AU - Scott, Jenny
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 by the authors.
PY - 2025/10/27
Y1 - 2025/10/27
N2 - In order to reach and maintain hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination goals, it is imperative to reach marginalized people who do not engage with traditional testing and treatment. Peer-led interventions are effective in engaging such individuals. Studies have demonstrated community pharmacy as a low-threshold setting for HCV testing, but pharmacy teams’ competing demands are a barrier to maximizing potential. This pilot project aimed to assess whether a pharmacy-based peer-led model of HCV testing was implementable, deliverable, able to engage marginalized people, and overcome pharmacy staff constraints. We implemented a peer-led HCV testing service in one community pharmacy in the Midlands, England, providing four focused phases of testing, totalling 198 h, over two years. In total, 591 tests for antibodies or RNA were undertaken, identifying 24 active infections. Subsequent phases retested 20%, 16%, and 11% of those tested in combined preceding phases. In response to feedback, phases 3 and 4 included health screening (blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and nurse-performed Fibroscans®). We demonstrate engagement and the ability to identify and refer those with abnormal results to appropriate healthcare. This pilot shows that peer-led testing in the pharmacy setting can be implemented and warrants further scale up and evaluation.
AB - In order to reach and maintain hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination goals, it is imperative to reach marginalized people who do not engage with traditional testing and treatment. Peer-led interventions are effective in engaging such individuals. Studies have demonstrated community pharmacy as a low-threshold setting for HCV testing, but pharmacy teams’ competing demands are a barrier to maximizing potential. This pilot project aimed to assess whether a pharmacy-based peer-led model of HCV testing was implementable, deliverable, able to engage marginalized people, and overcome pharmacy staff constraints. We implemented a peer-led HCV testing service in one community pharmacy in the Midlands, England, providing four focused phases of testing, totalling 198 h, over two years. In total, 591 tests for antibodies or RNA were undertaken, identifying 24 active infections. Subsequent phases retested 20%, 16%, and 11% of those tested in combined preceding phases. In response to feedback, phases 3 and 4 included health screening (blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and nurse-performed Fibroscans®). We demonstrate engagement and the ability to identify and refer those with abnormal results to appropriate healthcare. This pilot shows that peer-led testing in the pharmacy setting can be implemented and warrants further scale up and evaluation.
U2 - 10.3390/pharmacy13060154
DO - 10.3390/pharmacy13060154
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
VL - 13
JO - Pharmacy
JF - Pharmacy
IS - 6
M1 - 154
ER -
