Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Missouri Sues Opioid Manufacturers, Joining Two other U.S. States

Nate Raymond  |  

(Reuters)—Missouri on Wednesday became the third U.S. state to accuse major drug manufacturers of fraudulently misrepresenting the risks of opioid painkillers now at the center of a national addiction epidemic. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said his office filed a lawsuit in a state court in St. Louis against Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson and Johnson…

U.S. Senators Worry about Rush over Healthcare Bill ahead of Release

Susan Cornwell  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—U.S. senators expressed concern on Wednesday about a plan to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, fearing a rush to consider the major legislation as Republican leaders prepare to unveil it. The healthcare bill will be released to the Republican Senate Conference on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT) and posted online, Senators John…

The Walk from the Waiting Room

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For a rheumatology practice, rooming time can be leveraged to improve efficiency and patient care. Christie Bartels, MD, MS, and colleagues have studied this time frame and developed data-based tips and tools to decrease variation among staff and streamline practices…

FDA Responds to New Drug Application for Baricitinib

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Oxycodone Tablets Submitted to FDA Filings for oxycodone tablets (Oxaydo) in both 10 and 15 mg doses have been accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).1 The submission is based on a pharmacokinetic study demonstrating bioequivalence to the reference drug, oxycodone hydrochloride (Roxicodone) tablets at a 15 mg dose. The product is an…

Why I Advocate for Rheumatology: Teaching the Basics

Chris Morris, MD  |  

If you speak to any advocate for rheumatology, each of us has an “Aha! moment,” when we learned the importance of advocacy. My own came a dozen years ago. I was meeting with a legislative aide to a local congressman who was a senior member of the committee overseeing Medicare. He introduced himself as the…

International Task Force Recommends Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid for Knee OA

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An international task force convened by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) recommends systematic repeated intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injections as second-line treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). This is the first time a group of experts has made this recommendation, which is directed toward treatment of…

Clinical Guidelines for Sjögren’s Syndrome Focus on Biologics, Fatigue, Inflammatory Musculoskeletal Pain

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The first clinical practice guidelines for Sjögren’s syndrome have been released, the culmination of an initiative by the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation.1 These standard-of-care recommendations are intended to provide consistency in practice patterns, inform coverage and reimbursement policies, lead to the design and implementation of educational programs, highlight the needs for future research and fill a…