–
Experts point out gold cards to increase hepc drug rights Reduce the screening process – wider treatment
After the National Board of Major Drug Accounts resolved to contain Sofosbuvir / Velapatavir combination drug. Sofosbuvir / Velpatasvir (Sofosbuvir / Velpatasvir), a drug with a direct mechanism of action for the treatment of all strains of hepatitis C (Hepatitis C Direct Acting Antiviral: HCV DAA), has entered the National Major Drug List. And the National Health Security Board (NHSO Board) approved to add the aforementioned drug formula to the benefit package for gold patent users.
Dr. Pisit Tangkitvanich, MD. President of the Liver Association of Thailand Speaking in an online discussion on the topic “Hepatitis C screening and treatment in the National Health Coverage System” on January 20, that hepatitis C is becoming more and more serious. It climbed the rankings from number 10 to number 7, overtaking infectious diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, the drug has been included in the national list of major drugs. Which is a combination drug that can be of all strains And a cure rate of 95%. This feature simplifies the screening process.
“By the new Hepatitis C screening and treatment guide It starts with Anti HCV detection, which, if found, the next step is the viral load test to determine the severity of the disease using APRI Score or FIB-4 Score as a measure if the viral load is greater than the specified criteria. Or have severe symptoms, you can go into the treatment process Which greatly simplifies No Fibro Scan required. Widening the treatment Physicians can also cure Or if they are general practitioners, they must work for 5 years and be certified by the hospital director But if in the future there are systems that can be consulted by a medical professional, for example, telehealth consultation, it will expand the scope of treatment even further, ”said Dr. Pisit.
side Dr. Preecha Prempri, MD. Deputy Director-General, Department of Disease Control The Ministry of Public Health (Ministry of Public Health) said that hepatitis C causes 90 percent of liver cancer, a silent threat that did not show symptoms at first. Hepatitis C, in particular, leads to the chance of getting liver cancer in as little as 10 years and when symptoms appear, they die quickly.
“The estimated number of Thai people infected with hepatitis C is 400,000, and if 20 percent of them develop liver cancer. Will cause more than 80,000 deaths a year. Currently, there are 7-8 high-risk groups, such as inmates with HIV. Drug addict But screening is still possible for some groups Therefore, in the first step, the screening of all vulnerable groups must be expanded to 100% in every province, ”Dr. Preecha said, and that the Ministry of Education will cooperate with the local government organization (Local Administration Organization) in each province to implement. Screening tests to look at the infection rates in the general population. Because from the past survey, 1 percent of people infected with hepatitis C in the general population Once the screening is found, it will be taken into the process of curing further.
Mr. Nimit Tianudom The National Health Security Committee said that in the early stages of the health insurance system Anyone who is sick with Hepatitis C can only be treated with supportive care, because the drug is very expensive, 30,000 baht per tablet, treatment to finish the course, have to eat continuously for 3 months or spend more than 2 million baht, can now negotiate until the price of 280 baht per tablet for treatment. All species Treatment efficacy is more than 90 percent.
–
