Drug users in Newcastle are being offered an unusual incentive to get tested for hepatitis C – vouchers for the bakery chain Greggs.
Gateshead and South Tyneside local pharmaceutical committee (LPC) is inviting pharmacies to participate in the scheme as part of NHS England’s drive to eliminate the virus by 2025.
A callout on the LPC’s website, first reported by the Pharmaceutical Journal, says: “The remuneration to the pharmacy is £25 for the intervention and participating patients will receive up to £25 of Gregg’s vouchers as an incentive. This client group have been surveyed and this is their choice of voucher!”
Incentives have previously proved successful in changing health outcomes in trials in the UK.
A study targeting low-income areas, where bottle-feeding is the norm, offered up to £200 in shopping vouchers to women who breastfed their baby. It recorded an increase of six percentage points in areas where the scheme was offered, compared with areas where the scheme was not available – rising from 32% to 38% of mothers.
Researchers at the universities of Glasgow and Stirling found that pregnant women were more likely to stop smoking if offered up to £400 of shopping vouchers. Of those who were offered vouchers, 23% stopped smoking compared with 9% of the control group.
Will Durant, the policy and communications executive at the Royal Society for Public Health, welcomed the “creative approach” taken by the LPC to address the hepatitis C problem. “It’s a wonderful idea: get this simple, quick and easy test, then go down the road for a treat,” he said.
In September, Public Health England (PHE) said an estimated 95,600 people in the UK, were believed to have hepatitis C but were unaware of the condition because they had not been diagnosed. The disease is potentially fatal if left untreated.
Nine in 10 people infected with the virus inject recreational drugs such as heroin or have done so, according to PHE. The virus is spread among drug users by sharing contaminated needles.
The LPC said it was looking for expressions of interest from South Tyneside pharmacies that were already delivering needle exchange services or other services for drug users.
A blood spot test will be carried out and the sample sent to the laboratory for testing. The result will be communicated to the pharmacy where staff will inform the patient and signpost them for treatment if required.
