Hepatitis C among drug users: consensus guidelines on management in general practice.

Hepatitis C (HCV) is a common cause of morbidity among patients who attend general practitioners (GPs) in Ireland for methadone maintenance treatment. The aim of this study was to describe the development and content of guidelines for the management of HCV among current or former opiate users in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area attending GPs for methadone treatment. The guidelines were produced in five stages: identification of key stakeholders; development of evidence-based draft guidelines; discussion of content; determination of 'Delphi'-facilitated consensus and review by a sample of GPs for whom the guidelines would be intended. The guidelines contain advice for GPs on all aspects of care of patients at risk of HCV, including general and preventative care, care of other blood-borne and hepatotoxic viruses, and the factors to be considered and appropriate evaluation prior to referring a patient for assessment at a hepatology unit. The study concluded that GPs have an important role to play in the care of patients at risk of, or infected with, HCV