NSW Hepatitis C Remote Prescribing Program

The NSW Hepatitis C Remote Prescribing Program was established in November 2020 to facilitate linkages between nurses and prescribers to increase access to treatment in regional areas. Funded by NSW Health and coordinated by ASHM, the program has since been extended to other settings where treatment may otherwise be limited, including Mental Health services, Alcohol and Other Drugs services, Aboriginal Medical Services, and homelessness settings.

The program utilises a nurse-led and patient-centred model of care. Nurses perform the initial hepatitis C assessment and patient work-up then refer to prescribers who review the information and initiate direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. Several resources have been developed and/or tailored to facilitate the efficient exchange of clinical information and virtual prescribing. Only patients who meet the Remote Consultation Criteria, i.e., patients must be non-cirrhotic or have compensated cirrhosis and have no significant co-morbidities, can be included in the program.

Over the past 3 years, the NSW Hepatitis C Remote Prescribing Program’s model of care has demonstrated highly successful outcomes, enabling over 210 patients to be initiated onto treatment. Whilst all medical practitioners and authorised nurse practitioners can prescribe direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for the treatment of hepatitis C, the program can expedite and facilitate increased access to treatment in patients’ preferred settings. Nurses participating in the program provide flexible, patient-centred, on-treatment support, harm minimisation education and individualised follow-up to help these patients through treatment and achieve hepatitis C cure.

For more information about the program, visit the program webpage or email NSWLinkages@ashm.org.au.

Interested NSW-based practitioners and nurses are invited to join the program as prescribers and referrers respectively by emailing NSWLinkages@ashm.org.au.

For more information about hepatitis C, see the ASHM resources page and the Reach-C website at which provides an online form for practitioners who are not already experienced in hepatitis C treatment to gain specialist approval within 24 hrs to initiate DAA therapy.

ASHM also provides free online training and on-demand learning in HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexual health health medicine.