Pharmacies driving faster access to hepatitis C care

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus which affects the liver. If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Direct‑acting antiviral treatments for hepatitis C have minimal side effects and cure hepatitis C very effectively within eight to 12 weeks.

For many people, getting tested for hepatitis C can feel like a big step.

It can bring up old worries, awkward questions, or memories of older treatments with tough side effects.

But in Mandurah, a local community pharmacy has helped make testing simpler, more private and easier to fit into everyday life.

Between March and June 2026, Pharmacy 777 Mandurah hosted monthly hepatitis C testing and treatment clinics.

It partnered with Hepatitis WA, the state’s community based hepatitis organisation, and Hepatitis Australia. The clinics were free, private and appointment‑free.

“How do you deal with it? How do you recover? What things will be a benefit, what things are not, and how to channel the energy of the anger or disbelief into something positive.”

It’s a very simple, but it captures the essence of his message: resilience is not a trait, but a practice.

Practical and familiar

Across four outreach clinics, the team tested 22 people.

Three people had a positive result, meaning the virus was found in their blood.

They were linked straight to the Deen Clinic, a specialist hepatitis C service, through telehealth, so treatment could begin.

One participant has already successfully completed treatment.

The campaign comes as health advocates warn Australia may miss its goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030.

Country WA has hepatitis C rates 22.9 percent above the national average. Yet treatment uptake is 14.1 percent below the national average.

The pharmacy was well placed to help. It sits beside a GP practice and pathology provider.

It also has consultation rooms, a dosing room, harm reduction supplies and an on‑site nurse practitioner three days a week.

Pharmacy 777 Mandurah owner Wesley Williams says the pharmacy was proud to partner on the campaign.

“Getting tested and finding out how you can receive treatment is free and confidential,” he says.

A curable condition

Hepatitis WA CEO Rebecca Smith says people in Australia should not miss out on testing and treatment for a curable condition.

“Testing is simple, easy and private. You do not need to explain why you want a test,” she says.

She says some people still delay testing because they remember older hepatitis C treatments.

Today, treatment is usually daily tablets for up to 12 weeks. Most people have no side effects. That message matters because hepatitis C is still tied to outdated assumptions.

At least 84 percent of people living with hepatitis C do not currently inject drugs or never did.

People should consider a test if they have ever injected drugs, even once.

Testing is also recommended after an old tattoo with unsterile equipment, a blood transfusion before 1990, or medical care overseas.

Lucy Clynes, CEO of Hepatitis Australia, says support is available.

“GPs can prescribe hepatitis C treatment, or you can call HepLink to access bulk-billed hepatitis C telehealth appointments with a nurse practitioner,” she says.

Since 2016, an estimated 63 percent of Australians living with hepatitis C have received cures.

Almost 65,000 Australians are currently living with the virus, and many people are still yet to be diagnosed or treated.

Pharmacists can help

The Mandurah pilot shows how your pharmacy can help close gaps in hepatitis C testing and treatment.

The service worked because it was local, private and linked to care. It also used strengths you already know well — trust, access, regular contact and practical health infrastructure.

For pharmacists, the lesson is simple. With the right partners, referral pathways and promotion, community pharmacies can help more people find out their status and start treatment sooner.

For patients, testing can be quick, private and free. For pharmacy teams, it is another way to bring care closer to home.

HepLink’s Hepatitis C Telehealth Service is another way for people to access hepatitis C care.

Appointments are bulk‑billed, and people can self‑refer, or pharmacists and other health workers can refer someone on their behalf, helping make treatment more accessible for people who may face barriers to visiting a GP or specialist service, especially in rural and remote areas.

HepLink’s nurse navigator can also provide advice and guidance for pharmacists, including support with referral pathways and information