The Champion #95 – April 2021

This issue:

1. Research insights on s100 Co-Payment Initiative
2. Hep B and cancer education for Chinese Women in Western Sydney
3. New Hep C video launched – A Win Is A Win!
4. Yarnin’ About Hep C… online

Research insights on s100 Co-Payment Initiative

Recently, the Ministry of Health and Service NSW asked people about their experiences accessing the co-payment for Section 100 (s100) Highly Specialised Drugs in NSW. Hepatitis NSW and Positive Life NSW assisted by providing access to community input.

Service NSW interviewed over 25 research participants and reviewed surveys from around 200 people about their experiences. Participants included patients, prescribers, support groups, carers, pharmacists, and other groups involved in a person’s health journey.

Feedback will help the Ministry make administrative improvements to the s100 initiative, to make the co-payment process easier for both patients and pharmacists. This may include, for example, better communication about the initiative and reviewing the need for a consent form. In the meantime, people can still claim the co-payment for s100 medication as usual.

Here is a summary of findings:

• Feedback confirmed the current claiming process allowed people to access the s100 co-payment to access vital medicines.
• Overall, people valued the s100 initiative and the financial support it provides. Without the co-payment, s100 medicines would be too expensive for some people to afford. The co-payment helps them stay on their medication and in treatment.
• There was some confusion around eligibility for the s100 initiative, with some prescribers and pharmacists not fully aware which medicines were covered.
• Some people were unaware that the NSW Government is helping to pay for medication by covering the cost of the co-payment.
• People asked for more clarity about cross-border access for border pharmacies in Victoria and the ACT.
• The consent form can complicate the claiming process; some people were unclear about the purpose of the consent form as it is sometimes incorrectly identified as part of eligibility criteria for accessing the co-payment.
• Privacy and confidentiality are important, especially for people who obtain their prescription from community pharmacies.

More information>>> CLICK HERE

Hep B and cancer education for Chinese Women in Western Sydney

Getting information on hep B and liver health to Chinese and Korean communities in Sydney and NSW is an important part of our work. Hepatitis NSW has been working in partnership with Cancer Council NSW to organise a series of cancer prevention workshops for Chinese women living in the Western Sydney Local Health District. Recently, our first successful session was held in Castle Hills with 40 women – our COVID maximum – in attendance.

The workshops provide information on cancer screening and early detection of cervical, bowel, breast, and liver cancer. One of the most effective ways to reduce the impact of cancer is to screen regularly and detect early. The workshops aim to raise community awareness in relation to cause of disease and preventative strategies, including diet and lifestyle factors to improve health seeking behaviours. Also, workshop sessions seek to break perceived myths and encourage participants to take up preventative measures, such as vaccination, screening, and testing.

Participants learned that hepatitis B infection affects over 226,500 people in Australia and is known to be the biggest risk factor for developing liver cancer (also called hepatocellular carcinoma). However, with regular check-ups and treatment, people can prevent the virus from progressing to serious liver disease.

In addition to learning useful health information, participants had an opportunity to enjoy traditional Chinese art performance (see pic above for performers and seminar presenters). To meet high community demand, we are holding another two sessions in May and June.

New Hep C video launched – A Win is a Win!

Hepatitis NSW has just released a new hep C treatment themed video – A Win is a Win! – through our YouTube channel. The video was adapted from the script and art of a story first published in Tx! MAG – our easy read hep C comic book magazine.

A Win is a Win follows Nat and Suze as they chat about whether starting treatment for hep C cure is “worth the effort” … SPOILER ALERT: It is! Although being cured of hepatitis C is now easier than ever, for many people thinking about hep C may be a low personal priority when they’re also dealing with homelessness, unemployment, and other life challenges. The friendly, supportive, two-minute video addresses these hurdles and concerns while also framing starting hep C treatment as an achievable and worthy goal.

Watch “A Win is a Win”>>> CLICK HERE

More videos

Hepatitis NSW has been adding to and curating our YouTube channel this last year… and it has been paying off! Our number of subscribers and views has been steadily increasing over 2020 and into 2021. Here are just a few from our current content:

• Is My Liver Healthy?
• Time For A C Change
• Julie’s Story: Living with Hep B
• Clearing the Path peer photoshoot

…and much, much more!

When you check out our videos please consider liking and sharing them and subscribe to our channel. Not only does this help raise our profile but also ensures even more people can potentially see our work and important health messages.

More Tx! MAG

As noted above, A Win is a Win  was developed from content published in Tx! MAG  – our easy-read viral hep comic magazine. Tx! MAG  features stories from and about people affected by hep C and hep B. Fun fact: “Tx” = “treatment”! The stories, developed with community and stakeholder input, are informative, engaging and non-judgmental.

Tx! MAG is published three times a year – and is available, free in NSW, by subscription to individuals and to organisations that work with affected community members. Want one copy per edition, or two, ten or one hundred? No problem!

Subscribe to Tx! MAG>>> CLICK HERE

Yarnin’ About Hep C… online

As part of our ongoing work to Close the Gap, Hepatitis NSW recently held an inaugural webinar for Aboriginal health workers. Although the last few months have seen events and training slowly move back to face-to-face and in person settings, the online platform is one we will continue to use as it allows us to regularly connect and communicate with workers and communities throughout NSW, but especially regional and remote areas.

The one-hour seminar – using information based on our resource Yarnin’ About Hep C –  attracted registrations from 30 people. Like all our resources, Yarnin’ About Hep C was developed through community consultation, but also in partnership with the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AH&MRC). The seminar therefore responded to the needs of, and to the understanding of, people with lived experience.

A follow up presentation is planned for May 12 (2.00-3.00pm) which will explore barriers and bridges between service providers and community, to strengthen and build confidence so that the yarnin’ flows freely.

We would like to thank South West Sydney Local Health District for supporting and promoting the webinar idea, and Western NSW Local Health District for their generous support developing the initial presentation.

To register for Yarnin’ May 12>>> CLICK HERE