All patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection are potential candidates for antiviral therapy. Careful patient selection can optimize the response to therapy and enhance safety. Pegylated forms of interferon, when combined with ribavirin, can "cure" the majority of patients undergoing therapy, and these agents have become the new standard of care for chronic hepatitis C. Careful and timely management of side effects, which are experienced by all patients, can improve adherence to antiviral therapy and further improve response rates.