Correctional Digest - Bureau Of Prisons Offers Guidelines For Hepatitis C Treatment Protocols

Sep 28, 2026

Federal guidelines for hepatitis C treatment in correctional institutions are urged to be evidence-based, flexible, and implemented through formal procedures to improve clinical outcomes and consistency. The medical director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Newton Kendig, emphasizes involving specialists such as hepatologists and pharmacists, using drug utilization evaluation, and maintaining a review process for exceptions. The updated standards reflect an NIH consensus statement recommending broader consideration of previously excluded population groups, while treatment decisions are managed through central review across the system.

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CategoryHealthcare

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Reading Time23 min

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Correctional Digest

Bureau Of Prisons Offers Guidelines For Hepatitis C Treatment Protocols

New York Plan Boosts Mentally Health Care

June 13,2003 Vol.34,No.23 IN THIS ISSUE New York Plan BoostsCare For Mentally l………2Wisconsin Proposes IsolationFor Paroled Pedophiles……3Georgia Will Close SmallPrison For Substance Users.3Ohio Intervention Works,ButBecomes Racially Divergent3Indiana's Soaring Detention RateBoosts Juvenile Costs……4Federal Inquiry Targets YouthFacilities In Connecticut………4U.S.Issues Parole Rules……4BJS Releases Factbook………4 LEGISLATION House Approves Grant ProgramFor Abused Women,Kids..5 IN THE COURTS 5th Circuit Says Prisoner MustHave Proof Of Threat………58th Circuit Requires DisclosureFor Inmate Grievance……58th Circuit Says Bodily InjuryDefines Dangerous Weapon.5 DEATH ROW Indiana,Texas…………6 ACROSS THE STATES Ala.,Ark.,Conn.,D.C.,Fla..6Georgia,Rhode Island……7 FUNDING Substance Abuse,Youth...7 # CorrectionSDIGEST The only independent news service for the corrections professional The medical director for theFederal Bureau of Prisons has urgedcorrectional institutions to developevidence-based treatment guidelinesfor the care and treatment of in-mates with hepatitis C to provide"good treatment with good out-comes." Dr.Newton Kendig said formalprocedures result in better clinicaloutcomes and assure consistency intreatment. Kendig drafted the federalguidelines in cooperation with Mi-chael Nelson,the bureau's chief ofhealth programs. To assure the guidelines arecurrent,Kendig said an internalpanel of physicians conducts regularreviews.He also recommended areview panel for any institution thatadopts a treatment protocol. "I would recommend that youhave in-house expertise as well asoutside expertise to review yourguidelines,"the physician said.Henamed the state health departmentas one likely source of assistance. “Many universities have pre-ventative medicine fellowships andhave experts in deveioping evidencebased guidelines,"he said.“Youmay want to use your state or localuniversity or a medical school.” # Bureau Of Prisons Offers GuidelinesFor Hepatitis C Treatment Protocols Correctional systems shouldalso involve subspecialists in theevaluation and treatment of patients.Ideally,correctional systems shouldrely on one or two hepotolgists orsubspecialists to help deliver andoversee care. Kendig identified pharmacistsas "another locus of control"interms of cost and clinical outcomes. “You can't prescribe medica-tions and get them to the patientwithout the pharmacists,"saidKendig."It is another way you canlook at not just cost but clinical out-comes." That is why,he said,drug utili-zation and evaluation can be “veryhelpful.” Kendig stressed that the federalguidelines are "flexible,"enablingbureau officials to evaluate patientson an individual basis. "You need to have room for ex-ceptions,"Kendig explained."Ithink in all cases you want to have areview process that will allow youto make exceptions.” The federal hepatitis C guide-lines are updated on a periodic basisto reflect new treatment advancesand standards of care. In February,officials revisedthe guidelines to more closely re- flect a recently released consensusstatement calling for the expansionof population groups formerly ex-cluded from treatments. That consensus statement,putforth by a 12-member panel con-vened by the National Institutes ofHealth,says injection drug users,people who consume alcohol andothers suffering from co-morbidconditions should at least be con-sidered for treatment,a major de-parture from the last consensusstatement in 1997 that excludedthese groups from treatment. "You need to realize up frontthat the NIH consensus conferencewas not developed to come up withrecommendations for large patientpopulations,"Kendig said. "It was to look at the data onhow do we manage HCV.It is up tous in managing large patient popu-lations to take that information andtry to put it into practice.In someways,that is a much harder job thanwhat the consensus conference ex-perts had to do.” The bureau operates more than100 facilities and

FAQs

Why does the article stress evidence-based treatment guidelines for hepatitis C in corrections?

It argues that formal, evidence-based procedures improve clinical outcomes and ensure consistent treatment across correctional institutions.

What roles do specialists play in hepatitis C care described in the guidelines?

The article highlights using subspecialists like hepatologists for evaluation and care oversight, and pharmacists as a key point for managing medication delivery and monitoring cost and clinical outcomes.

What changed in the hepatitis C consensus statement referenced by the article?

The updated federal approach reflects a newer NIH consensus view calling for expanding consideration for treatment to groups previously excluded, such as injection drug users and people who consume alcohol, based on data management needs.

Sep 28, 2026

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