Drug Shortages - June 2015
RheumNow is committed to reporting safety issues in our monthly Drug Safety Bulletins. Each month we will update you with reports of new, ongoing and resolved Drug Shortages that will affect the practicing rheumatologist.
News
Fibromyalgia Update: Genes, Hyperbaric Therapy & Conflicts of Interest
An Israeli crossover trial analyzed the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in 60 patients with fibromyalgia.
IM Residents Concerned about Cost, But Don't Have Access to Cost of Care Numbers
A large ACP survey of over 18,000 US internal medicine residents shows they often incorporate cost of care in discussions and decisions, but may not know the data (citation source http://buff.ly/1KeLq0D).
Doctors are Unaware How Opioids are Abused
A survey of internists and family practitioners shows that half of physicians are unaware of how opioids are abused.
Adherence to Lupus Meds Linked to Increased Acute Hospitalizations
Using Medicaid data from 2000-2006, 9,600 hydroxychloroquine new users were compared to 3,829 new users of immunosuppressive agents (IS) in patients with SLE. They assessed adherence using the MPR - the medication possession ratio.
Adherence to ETN/MTX is Greater Than Triple DMARD Therapy
Rheumatoid management hinges on choosing your best therapies first.
Right Knee Pain - What's Your Dx?
A 36 year-old white male butcher has right knee pain for 3 weeks. He noted a similar episode 5 years earlier and admits to a traumatic fall on that knee years ago. He denies fever, redness, warmth, other joints or other past medical problems. He only takes OTC ibuprofen prn.
Australia Allows Pharmacy Substitution with Biosimilars Without Notice
Biosimilars are copies of the biologic medicines used to treat inflammatory and immunologic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and cancer- potentially at lower costs.
Chikungunya Infection in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Chikungunya virus (CKV) is an acute febrile illness caused by an alpha virus that mimics RA in its clinical presentation.
Inflammatory Ocular Disease in US Veterans
A retrospective review of 1285 US male veterans showed the prevalence of inflammatory eye disease to be 2%. Uveitis was most common (most being anterior uveitis), followed by keratitis, scleritis, episcleritis, and acute ischemic optic neuropathy.
The History of Citrullination
1998 marked the introduction of citrulline as a unique target in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. The hallmark article by Schellekens et al in the Journal of Clinical Investigation has since been cited over 500 times. Dr.
NICE Judges Apremilast Less Cost Effective than TNF Inhibitors
The National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence has turned down Otezla for coverage under the U.K. healthcare system for psoriatic arthritis.
