Hepatitis C: Implementing non-prescription supply through Nurses and Pharmacists

For nurses and pharmacists wanting to supply Maviret without prescription.

Please note: Before you start this course you need to have completed the general course, Chronic Hepatitis C.

Chronic hepatitis C affects an estimated 20,000 – 25,000 New Zealanders, with perhaps 25% of people not knowing they have it. Hepatitis C can cause liver cancer, liver failure and death so needs to be diagnosed and cured to avoid harm.

Glecaprevir and pibrentasvir (Maviret®) have been reclassified in New Zealand to allow supply without prescription in certain cases using an innovative collaborative nurse-pharmacist model.

This course aims to equip you with information to allow credentialling for supply under this reclassification to enable nurses and pharmacists to supply this medicine without prescription. The course includes the following:

• The reclassification and what it means
• What is required to be able to supply the medicine under the reclassification
• The new nurse-pharmacist collaborative models
• The new nurse direct supply outreach model
• Key aspects of responsibilities of pharmacists and nurses
• Process
• Funding and dispensing

Nurses and pharmacists wanting to provide glecaprevir/pibrentasvir without prescription must meet certain requirements as per the Nursing Council of New Zealand (for nurses) and the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand (for pharmacists).

As part of the credentialing, both pharmacists and nurses wanting to provide this service need to successfully complete two courses: the general course, Chronic Hepatitis C, as well as this course. These trainings have been endorsed by the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand and the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

At the end of this course there is a test on completion where a 95% mark needs to be achieved to pass. You can have multiple attempts at the tests. When you successfully complete the course, please download your certificate as evidence and store it safely. 

When you have successfully completed both hep C trainings please let your Regional Programme Manager know.

Acknowledgements

Content created by Dr Natalie Gauld (ONZM DipPharm MPharm PhD FPS) and Jo de Lisle (RN and Hepatitis C Programme Manager, Te Manawa Taki, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora), with expert review and input from Professor Ed Gane (Deputy Director, New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit and Chair of the National Hepatitis C Oversight Group), review by Nancy Carey (Community Hepatitis C Nurse Co-ordinator), the Hepatology Nurses Group, the Nursing Council of New Zealand and the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand.