APRIL 2015
www.RheumatologyPracticeManagement.com
The SARAH Study: A Trial
and Economic Evaluation of Exercise for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand
VOLUME 3 • NUMBER 1
Topical Treatment of Osteoarthritis Shelly Kafka, MD, and Wesley A. Kafka, PharmD candidate
O
steoarthritis (OA) is the most have osteoarthritis.2 There are numercommon form of arthritis. ous studies documenting lost wages and Currently, 27 million people limitations of both paid work and social in the United States have OA, and the activities due to OA.2 numbers are expected to rise significantThe American College of Rheumatol ly with an aging population. Two-thirds ogy has established treatment guidelines of the population that receive a doctor’s for OA, the most recent of which were 1 diagnosis will be women. By the age published 2012.3 PRACTITIONERS The emphasis of FOR OFFICE ADMINISTRATORS, RHEUMATOLOGISTS, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, ANDin NURSE of 85 years, nearly 1 in 2 patients will treatment depends on the site involved Continued on page 8
I
t has not been established that exercise improves hand and wrist function in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study Strengthening and Stretching for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand (SARAH) evaluated the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of exercise Continued on page 7
Cautious Stance Taken by American College of Rheumatology’s Position Statement on Biosimilars Rosemary Frei, MSc
T
he American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has released an official position statement on biosimilars,1 on the heels of
the first biosimilar approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Filgrastim-sndz (Zarxio, Sandoz) was approved on March 6, 2015.2 Continued on page 6
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