Education about the importance of lifestyle changes
is also provided. Obese and overweight patients
are encouraged to use diet and exercise to lose
weight, with the ultimate goal of achieving a healthy
body mass index. Patients are urged to eat a lowfat diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole
grains, and to maintain adequate hydration during
HCV treatment. Patients must agree to abstain from
alcohol consumption and illicit drug use during
the course of HCV treatment. Patients who use
tobacco products are offered smoking cessation
services. Patients are also counseled to avoid herbal
supplements, as they lack FDA-approval and can be
hepatotoxic.
The pharmacist educates patients about currentlyavailable classes of medications for treatment of their
specific HCV genotype. Regimen components, pill
burden and duration of therapy vary based on the
patients’ comorbidities, level of fibrosis, and previous
HCV treatment history. The pharmacist reviews the
mechanisms of their HCV treatment, and the reasons
Sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) 400mg tablet
for dual or triple therapy selection. The pharmacist
informs patients about the potential adverse effects
of the treatment, the steps that can be taken to
alleviate or minimize reactions, and the procedure to
follow if an adverse effect occurs. The importance
of adherence is stressed. The pharmacist explains
what viral resistance is and how it can develop, and
counsels the patient on the importance of adherence
to minimize risk of treatment failure. Patients are
encouraged to use adherence aids, such as pillboxes,
alarms, and medication charts; they are given specific
instructions for what to do if they miss a dose. Every
patient who is started on treatment is given a full
medication list and a personalized HCV medication
chart that lists the timing of their doses. See Table 1
for an example. Patients are counseled on the need
to inform the pharmacist and any other healthcare
providers about their current medications to allow
providers to monitor for drug-drug interactions.
Patients are advised on the proper storage for their
HCV medications.
Ribavirin 200mg capsule
Pegylated Interferon injection
___:___AM / PM
Take 1 tab
(400mg)
Take___ caps
( ____mg)
x
___:___AM / PM
x
Take___ caps
( ____mg)
ONCE WEEKL B