Generic Hepatitis C Drugs Was a PDF format with others and don’t know how to load it. Copy and paste.
—By Lucinda K. Porter, RN
Hepatitis C was destroying Australian Greg Jefferys’
liver. In 2015, Sovaldi and other new direct-acting
antivirals were unavailable in his country. Greg could
die or fly to India, and obtain hep C treatment using
generic medications. He chose the latter and is now
cured. However, that is just the beginning of the story.
Greg used his experience to help countless others in
the world, starting a cascade of events that opened the
door to treatment for all Australians.
This month I provide information about obtaining generic
hepatitis C drugs from outside the U.S. This is the
most controversial subject I’ve ever discussed in my
Healthwise column. The opinions expressed here are
strictly my own and not necessarily shared by the HCV
Advocate or its staff.
I am risking my reputation. However, it’s a risk I am willing
to take as long as physicians, state Medicaid programs
and insurance companies continue to deny hepatitis C
treatment to their patients. My reputation seems small
compared to the health of my fellows with hepatitis C.
Before you compose hate mail or type “generic hep C
drugs” into your search engine, please read the following:
• Hepatitis C treatment should always be medically
supervised, regardless of where you purchase the
medication.
• My remarks only pertain to hepatitis C generics, and
should not be generalized to other medicines.
• I am not endorsing the use of a particular hepatitis
C drug, generic or brand name.
• Never buy medication from a source unless you
completely trust it.
• Generics should be a last resort option. If you have health
insurance, pressure that plan to pay for your treatment.
It’s wrong of insurers to deny treatment, and as wonderful
as a trip to India or Australia sounds, you have the
right to get these drugs in the U.S. from the company
who covers you. If treatment is denied, pester them with
appeals before accepting a final refusal. If treatment was
denied last year, try again this year. If you don’t have
medical coverage, get help from a patient advocacy
program. Resources to help you fight for coverage are
provided at the end of this article.
The reason why I want you to fight for coverage is that if
everyone gives up, the situation won’t change. If insurance
companies have to pay for hepatitis C treatment,
they will complain about the price to the drug companies.
If insurance companies keep denying treatment,
the drug companies won’t sell their drugs. Either way,
the price is likely to drop, and access to treatment mayimprove. Australia is a beautiful example. A year ago,
Australians didn’t have Sovaldi, let alone Harvoni. Beginning
in March, the latest drugs will be available without
restrictions to all Australians, including the incarcerated.
It will cost up to $37.70 per person. Access is granted
regardless of level of liver damage and substance use.
Australia wants to eradicate hep C in one generation.
My Fears about Generics
People die while taking hep C drugs. These deaths
may be unrelated to their treatment, but nonetheless,
it leaves one to wonder. I am afraid that someone is
going to die while taking generics. However, I also fear
that people will die or suffer needlessly because they
aren’t able to get treatment. On average, more than two
people die every hour in the U.S. from hepatitis C. We
have to do something.
I am concerned that people will take phony hepatitis
C medications, or even worse, contaminated ones. All
generics are not equal. If you go down this road, it is critical
that you purchase from a reliable source, test before
you ingest, and take your medication as prescribed. In
addition to being medically monitored, you need to know:
• That the hep C drug is appropriate for you and not
contraindicated
• What medications can interact with your hep C drugs
• How to take the medication prescribed for you
Importing Generic Hepatitis C Medications
Is it legal? It depends on your interpretation of the
FDA regulations, but my sources say yes. Here is what
the FDA says:
…it typically does not object to personal imports of drugs
that FDA has not approved under certain circumstances,
including the following situation:
• The drug is for use for a serious condition for which
effective treatment is not available in the United States
— CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
(my note: if you can’t get it, then it isn’t available);
• There is no commercialization or promotion of the
drug to U.S. residents;
• The drug is considered not to represent an unreasonable
risk;
• The individual importing the drug verifies in writing
that it is for his or her own use, and provides contact
information for the doctor providing treatment or
shows the product is for the continuation of treatment
begun in a foreign country; and
• Generally, not more than a 3-month supply of the
drug is imported.
How do I know that I am getting quality medication?
As of this moment, the only source I trust is the FixHepC
Buyers Club. They don’t sell medication directly, but they
help you buy it, have it tested, and then delivered. I have
communicated directly with people who have used the
Buyers Club, and I have not heard anything negative.
Note: Treatment with generics is likely to have the same
response rate as brand name drugs, which means that
some people will fail treatment. Dr. James Freeman of
the Buyers Club is conducting research using generics.
How much will it cost? Depending on what you need,
and for how long, between $1050 and $1700 USD.
How do I do it? Contact the FixHepC Buyers Club and
follow instructions.
• Get a prescription for the required medication from
your doctor. You can use the online doctor service
All generics
are not equalGP2U Telehealth in Australia, but I am adamant about
having a U.S. doctor too.
• Send the prescription, the authorization agreement,
and your payment to the Buyers Club.
• Your tested medication will be shipped to you.
Medical travel
Perhaps like me, you don’t want to fork over your credit
card to a stranger and trust that Fed Ex will deliver the
precious medication. You would rather fly to Australia
or India, and return with the goods. India is cheaper to
visit than Australia is. If travel to India is your first choice,
contact Greg Jefferys (see Resources).
Here is how medical travel to Australia works: contact
the Buyers Club and tell them you are interested in
travel to Australia. Likely they will suggest you go to
GP2U on the web and make an appointment with Dr.
James Freeman, an Australian online medical consultant.
Freeman has been doing telemedicine for a
long time, and this service will walk you through the
steps. Again, I can’t overstress the importance of also
having a U.S. medical provider who will follow you
when you return.
When you book a flight to Australia, plan on a 5-day
stay. Australia requires a visa, called an ETA. Australia
is a wonderful country, and personally, if I was travelling
that far, I would go for at least 3 weeks. However,
if you are really pressed for time then you can speed
this process up to 3 nights.
Working with Your Doctor
This may be your biggest obstacle. Doctors are uncomfortable
with unknowns, and they have taken an oath
to “Do no harm.” If you are injured or die, they don’t
just worry about being sued; they worry about you and
your family. If they work in a group practice, they could
lose their job. A doctor who prescribes generics may
be hard to find.
However, your doctor may be frustrated by insurance
denials and worried about you. If your doctor is unwilling
to write a prescription, ask if he or she will follow
you if you obtain a prescription outside the U.S. If they
need more information, give them a copy of this article.
Mike Galbraith, a high school teacher in Arkansas
took generics with the support of his physician. It’s too
soon to know if he is cured, but so far, he’s on track.
Fortunately, he had the resources to obtain generics,
which is not a choice for those with limited incomes.
However, it horrifies me that it was his only option.
There is something deeply wrong when a person can’t
get treatment for a curable disease because health
plans decide who can and who can’t. However, we
wouldn’t be in this position if hep C medications were
more reasonably priced. Maybe insurance companies
should think about branching out into travel medicine?
Resources to Help You Obtain
Generic Hepatitis C Treatment
FixHepC Buyers Club http://fixhepc.com/blog.html
Greg Jefferys http://blogs.hepmag.com/gregjefferys
Patient Advocate Foundation’s Hepatitis C CareLine
https://hepatitisc.pafcareline.org