CLARK, N.J., May 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chronic
Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) announced today that it's
collaborating with Walgreens to offer free hepatitis C (HCV)
testing with the OraQuick® HCV Rapid Test at more than 60 Walgreens
retail pharmacies in 12 major cities throughout the country.
The program, which is slated to launch this August and run
through January 2016, will offer free
rapid HCV testing on specific days and times each week to patients
at risk for HCV. Rapid testing and patient education will be
conducted by trained healthcare professionals on site at each
retail location and individuals who test positive will be linked
directly to one of CLDF's 75 Hepatology Centers of Expertise
throughout the U.S.
"The rapid hepatitis testing program demonstrates our commitment
to helping patients access important information that can help to
improve their health," said Glen
Pietrandoni, RPh, AAHIVP, senior director, virology,
Walgreens. "We are proud to collaborate with the Chronic Liver
Disease Foundation on this initiative. Through this testing program
we can help people become educated on the risk factors, identify
people infected with HCV and help them get linked to appropriate
care."
"Today, approximately 5.2 million Americans have hepatitis C and
the vast majority does not know it," said Dr. Willis C. Maddrey, President of the Chronic
Liver Disease Foundation. "However, new therapies are now available
that can effectively treat and cure hepatitis C.
Each year, about 17,000 Americans become infected with hepatitis
C. Up to 75 percent of people with chronic hepatitis C infection
were born during 1945-1965, and up to three out of four people
infected with hepatitis C are unaware of their infection.
OraQuick® HCV is the first and only FDA-approved and CLIA-waived
point of care test for detection of HCV infection in at-risk
individuals. The simple, accurate platform enables healthcare
providers to deliver an accurate diagnosis in 20 minutes, using
venipuncture or fingerstick blood. The test is manufactured
by OraSure Technologies (NASDAQ: OSUR) in Bethlehem, Pa.
About the Chronic Liver Disease Foundation
Established in 2001, the Chronic Liver Disease Foundation is a
nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization dedicated to providing
hepatology related continuing medical education, news and
information to healthcare professionals across the US. The CLDF is
led by a Board of Trustees comprised of nationally renowned liver
disease specialists. Furthermore, the CLDF believes that
educational programs should be developed by the specialists who are
actively involved in the research, treatment and management of a
disease. As such the CLDF has developed a network of 75 Centers of
Educational Expertise and multiple Advisory Boards who are actively
involved in program creation related to specific disease topics
which include; hemochromatosis, hepatic encephalopathy, hepatitis
B, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, HIV co-infection, liver
transplantation and NASH/NAFLD. The CLDF's educational
opportunities are offered in a variety of formats including an
interactive web site, live meetings, teleconferences, print pieces,
webcasts and other electronic mediums. For more information,
please visit www.chronicliverdisease.org.
Media
Contact:
Contact:
Alessandra LaMastro for
CLDF
973-668-8354
alamastro@focusmeded.com
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SOURCE Chronic Liver Disease Foundation