Opioid substitution therapy is associated with increased detection of hepatitis C virus infection : a 15-year observational cohort study

Background: Strategies are needed to enhance screening of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among people who inject drugs to improve engagement in HCV treatment, and stem the growing burden of HCV-related morbidity and mortality. Methods: We linked routinely collected data on enrolment in opioid substitution therapy (OST) and HCV notifications. We calculated rates of incident HCV notifications, and compared rates in and out of OST. Results: Following adjustment for sex, age and calendar period, rates of incident HCV notification were significantly higher during periods of OST, compared to periods out of OST (adjusted incident rate ratio: 1.91; 95% confidence interval: 1.86, 1.97). This effect was seen across multiple treatment periods. Conclusions: HCV screening in OST settings increases detection of HCV infection among people who inject drugs.