INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been estimated at between 1.2% and 1.7% in the adult global population, suggesting that 62 million to 89 million people are affected by the disease. In the United States, the estimated prevalence of chronic HCV infection was 2.7 million, based on survey data from 2003 to 2010; however, this estimate may understate the true prevalence because the survey did not include key high-risk populations, such as homeless and incarcerated individuals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently estimates the number of chronically infected people in the U.S. to be 2,7 million to 3.9 million. In 2014, the cause of death for 19,659 U.S. residents was attributed in whole or in part to HCV. Total health care costs associated with HCV disease and its complications, excluding treatment expenses, were estimated to be $6.5 billion in 2011, with a projected increase to $9.1 billion by 2024. Treatment costs associated with HCV therapy have increased rapidly from $77 million in 2009 to $18.4 billion in 2015, with the approval of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) driving those expenses.Long Island University, LIU Pharmacy (Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences) in Brooklyn, New York.
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