From 1 September 2026, the prescriber accreditation requirement for hepatitis B medicines under the PBS Section 100 (s100) Highly Specialised Drugs Program will be removed. As a result, all medical and authorised nurse practitioners will be able to prescribe hepatitis B antiviral treatment without additional specialist accreditation. ASHM is currently updating its website, education and resources to reflect this change.
HCC screening is recommended for people living with hepatitis B who are willing* and suitable** to receive HCC treatment in these groups:
Consider offering HCC surveillance 10 years prior to earliest case in a family.
* ‘Willing’ means someone who is willing to receive a HCC diagnosis and if diagnosed, to undergo HCC treatment.
** ‘Suitable’ is defined as: someone who is well enough to receive HCC treatment (including patients with Child-Pugh stage A or B cirrhosis or patients with Child-Pugh stage C awaiting liver transplantation) and is without significant comorbidities and therefore has a non-HCC-related life expectancy of > 6 months.
**High-risk features include: a family history of HCC or a high-risk HBV genotype individually confirmed (eg C4) or epidemiologically likely.
Decision making in hepatitis B | PDF| ASHM
Clinical practice guidelines for hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance for people at high risk in Australia | Website | Cancer Council Australia
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a low survival cancer with a 5-year survival of < 30% in Victoria from 2017–2021.
Hepatitis B is an oncogenic virus that increases the risk of HCC and can occur in a liver without cirrhosis. HCC can progress rapidly and present at an advanced stage in the absence of symptoms.
The aim of HCC surveillance is to detect tumours at an early stage when curative treatment can be offered including resection and liver transplant.
B Positive: Hepatitis B related hepatocellular carcinoma | Website | ASHM
It is important to empower patients to understand the purpose of screening. This can be managed in both the community and tertiary setting.
For information on who is recommended for HCC screening see here.
“I have found setting reminders in our practice software for the next time tests are required, can really help my patients keep on top of the required monitoring, such as HCC screening. 6 months comes around surprisingly quickly and without a system in place it can be easy for everyone to forget!” – Hepatitis B s100 Community Prescribing GP | Melbourne
Decision making in hepatitis B | PDF | ASHM
Clinical practice guidelines for hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance for people at high risk in Australia | Website | Cancer Council Australia
B Positive: Hepatitis B related hepatocellular carcinoma | Website | ASHM
“I have other more important health issues and the doctor doesn’t have much time so I don’t need to do anything about Hepatitis B since it doesn’t cause me any problems. I later found out I have liver cancer. I didn’t know that regular monitoring could’ve picked this up before it got to this stage. How do I tell my family this?” – Community member with lived experience of hepatitis B
This flipchart is designed for healthcare workers to use with patients who have been diagnosed with hepatitis B. It provides practical information on managing hepatitis B to prevent liver damage and liver cancer.
See below for a list of relevant community resources.
Preventing hepatitis B-related liver cancer: Flipchart | PDF | Cancer Council
Hepatitis B & liver cancer | Website | Cancer Council
Understanding liver cancer: A guide for people with cancer, their families and friends | PDF | Cancer Council
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