Impact of COVID-19 on Prescribing Trends of Direct-Acting Antivirals for the Treatment of Hepatitis C in Ontario, Canada

INTRODUCTION: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are curative treatments for hepatitis C. However, initiation of these treatments requires adequate healthcare access. Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in restrictions to healthcare services in March 2020. We examined the impact of COVID-19 on the number of individuals dispensed DAAs. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study examining the number of individuals dispensed DAAs in Ontario, Canada, from 2018 to 2020. Time-series models determined the impact of healthcare restrictions on DAA dispensations. RESULTS: Healthcare restrictions resulted in a 49.3% decrease in DAA dispensations (P = 0.026). DISCUSSION: COVID-19-related healthcare restrictions significantly affected access to DAAs. Studies exploring the long-term effects on reduced treatment are needed.

Automated summary

The study found that COVID-19 related healthcare restrictions significantly decreased the number of individuals dispensed with DAAs by 49.3%. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of reduced treatment on patients.