World Hepatitis Day falls on 28 July each year,¹ and in Australian pharmacy circles the conversation is shifting from awareness to action. More Australian pharmacies are starting to take on hepatitis C testing and treatment, though the number remains small, a shift that also changes what needs to be on hand behind the counter. ²

Did you know?

63% of people in Australia have received hepatitis C cures since 2016. However, there are still nearly 70,000 people living with hepatitis C in Australia.³

Pharmacy is becoming a genuine access point for testing

The Burnet Institute’s EXPAND-C project is trialling hepatitis C point-of-care testing directly in community pharmacies, using a Therapeutic Goods Administration-approved rapid test device.⁴ Pharmacists involved in the project offer testing, harm reduction guidance and referral to treatment in a single visit.⁴ The project is endorsed by Hepatitis Australia and supports Australia’s national strategy to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030.⁴

Recent research suggests the shift is already underway. A survey of more than 500 Australian community pharmacists found that 22% already stock hepatitis C medications, and close to half said they would be willing to host an outreach HCV testing team on-site.⁵ Willingness was notably higher among pharmacists in rural and remote areas, where access to specialist services is often more limited.⁵

What it means for ordering

Expanding into testing and screening services changes a pharmacy’s usual order list. Point-of-care test kits, associated consumables and specialty medications aren’t always part of a pharmacy’s regular ordering pattern, and sourcing them can mean chasing down a new supplier relationship for every new product line.

This is where having broad, flexible supplier access matters. connects pharmacies to hundreds of in one place, and shows real-time availability before you commit to an order. For pharmacies exploring a bigger role in hepatitis testing and treatment, or any expanding clinical service, that means adding a new product line doesn’t have to mean adding new administrative overhead.

Footnotes

1. Hepatitis Australia, Australia’s World Hepatitis Day
2. Hepatitis Australia, World Hepatitis Day Factsheet 2025
3. Burnet Institute, EXPAND-C: hepatitis C testing and treatment through community pharmacies 
4. Ong, E., Xia, T., Laing, R., Richmond, J.A., Higgs, P., Hayes, M., Doyle, J.S., Nielsen, S., Picco, L. “Australian Community Pharmacists’ Preparedness to Offer and Discuss Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment With Pharmacy Clients: A Representative Cross-Sectional Survey,” Journal of Viral Hepatitis, 32(2): e70001 (2025). 
5. Australian Pharmacist, “Could community pharmacies play a greater role in infectious disease care?”