SAN DIEGO—In a presentation on what rheumatology nurses should know in their daily practice about disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Nov. 3–8, Jessica Farrell, PharmD, highlighted the importance of educating and counseling patients about the range of treatments and applications for rheumatologic conditions. Dr. Farrell, a clinical pharmacist at the…
MADRID—Scores on the Health Assessment Questionnaire for Rheumatoid Arthritis (HAQ) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were independent predictors of whether patients could be tapered successfully from a TNF inhibitor after having reached remission of their RA, according to findings presented in a session at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology. Researchers also developed a composite…
Highlights from the 2017 EULAR Congress MADRID—Scores on the Health Assessment Questionnaire for Rheumatoid Arthritis (HAQ) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were independent predictors of whether patients could be tapered successfully from a TNF inhibitor after having reached remission of their RA, according to findings presented in a session at the Annual European Congress of…
An established patient is seen in the office for a scheduled visit with the rheumatologist at the start of the new year. What should the front desk staff do for all patients at the beginning of each year? Inform the patient that their co-pay is due prior to receiving treatment, and ask how they would…
On April 7, 2017, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) published its final report, titled, Targeted Immune Modulators for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Effectiveness & Value.1 The stated objective of the report was to assess the comparative clinical effectiveness of the targeted immune modulators (TIMs) used to treat patients with moderate to severe active rheumatoid…
On a chilly March morning in Lancaster, Ohio, rheumatologist Stephanie Ott, MD, shared the Ohio Association of Rheumatology’s (OAR) current advocacy efforts with ACR@Work between walking her three dogs and driving to her clinic to see patients—some of whom travel from as far away as West Virginia. “This year, we are really focusing on legislation…
In May, the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) published its recommendations for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA).1 The updated recommendations represent advances in drug development and availability since previous recommendations published in 2009, as well changes in treatment paradigms and the importance of associated aspects of the disease.2…
LONDON—Rheumatologists need to make the management of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) “a little more complex,” treating different tissues individually and doing more to help treat and prevent co-morbidities, an expert said here at the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) 2016. Iain McInnes, MD, PhD, director of the Research Institute for Infection, Immunity…
Ixekizumab Improves Work Productivity in Patients with Plaque Psoriasis Indirect costs of reduced work productivity can have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life. A recent article published in JAMA Dermatology analyzed the results of three multicenter, randomized double-blind Phase 3 trials, UNCOVER-1, UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3, which evaluated the effect of ixekizumab on…
LONDON—From optimizing responses to methotrexate, to the efficacy of biologics, to the need for imaging in assessing remission, the literature, as ever, has been lively with explorations of pressing topics in the treatment and management of rheumatoid arthritis. Josef Smolen, MD, chair of rheumatology at the Medical University of Vienna, reviewed many of the highlights…