it would not be cost-effective
to treat patients who inject
drugs because they believe
these patients will get hepatitis
C again. However, countries
that began treating PWID have
found transmission of HCV
reduced overall.28 Some states
have shortened the periods
of time individuals need to
abstain from drugs before receiving
treatments. However, a
sobriety restriction in any form
as it relates to HCV punishes
both the patient and those who
are trying to provide treatment.
If states continue to use
barriers to access HCV treatment
like sobriety restrictions,
it is projected that 320,000
HCV patients will die, 157,000
will develop liver cancer, and
203,000 will develop cirrhosis
over the next 35 years.9,10
Medical professionals are in
favor of ending these sobriety restrictions
in order to once again
provide equal care to all their
patients. State medical associations
like the Texas Medical
Association have taken a stance
of opposition to these sobriety
restrictions. Furthermore, the
American Medical Association’s
Medical Student Section stood
against sobriety restrictions in
this year’s conference and will
be bringing this topic to the
American Medical Association’s
House of Delegates in the near
future. Until these barriers to
care are lifted across the board,
future physicians will be unable
to fulfill their mission of “do no
harm.” DMJ
All authors are either medical
students or law students with
the United States. Whitney
Stuard is executive editor of
the Medical Student Press, and
the author of the legislation
put forward to both the Texas
Medical Association and
American Medical Association
to Oppose Sobriety Restrictions
for HCV Treatment.
The views, information, or
opinions expressed in this
editorial are solely those of
the individual(s) involved and
do not necessarily represent
those of Dallas County Medical
Society (DCMS), its employees,
or the Board of Directors. DCMS
makes no representations as to
the accuracy, completeness, or
correctness of any information
provided herein and is not
responsible for its content.
References:
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