Improving Clinical and Managed Care Outcomes in Rheumatoid Arthritis: New Guidelines, Therapies, and Challenges

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Antares Pharma, Inc.

Faculty

Allan Gibofsky, MD, JD, FACP, FCLM

Professor of Medicine and Public Health

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

New York, New York

Attending Rheumatologist

Hospital for Special Surgery

New York, New York

Gary M. Owens, MD

President

Gary Owens Associates

Ocean View, Delaware

Targeted Audience: Managed care professionals, pharmacists, and specialty pharmacists who treat and manage patients with Rheumatioid Arthritis

Activity Overview

This supplement to The American Journal of Managed Care is intended to provide an understanding of the pathophysiology, symptoms, and management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Included is the most recent classification criteria used in diagnosis and in clinical guideline recommendations. This supplement also provides an overview of the current therapeutic options in RA, with a focus on the role of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The economic impact and managed care implications associated with managing RA and its common comorbities is also discussed.

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this free, knowledge based, educational activity, the participants should be able to:

• Assess the epidemiology, burden, and pathophysiology of disease related to RA and the importance of early intervention to delay disease progression
• Distinguish and compare standard, new, and emerging agents for the treatment of RA, including biologic therapies, and on new uses, administration rates, or formulations of previously approved agents
• Delineate the optimal role of the managed care provider and use of disease therapy management programs in optimizing patient care

Release date: May 21, 2014 Expiration date: May 21, 2016

Estimated time to complete activity: 2.5 hours

Activity fee: Free

Pharmacy Times Office of Continuing Professional Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This activity is approved for 2.5 contact hours (.25 CEUs) under the ACPE universal activity number 0290-0000-14-047-H01-P. The activity is available for CE credit through May 21, 2016.

Disclosure Policy

According to the disclosure policies of Pharmacy Times Office of Continuing Professional Education and The American Journal of Managed Care, all persons who are in a position to control content are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests. If a conflict is identified, it is the responsibility of the Pharmacy Times Office of Continuing Professional Education to initiate a mechanism to resolve the conflict(s). The existence of these relationships is not viewed as implying bias or decreasing the value of the activity. All educational materials are reviewed for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies reported, and levels of evidence.

Obtaining Credit: To receive a Statement of Credit, participants must complet the online pretest, read the supplement, and complete the online posttest (with a score of 70% or better). After succesful completion of the online evaluation, participants may immediately print their Statement of Credit.

Faculty Disclosures

These faculty have disclosed the following relevant commercial financial relationships or affiliations in the past 12 months.

Allan Gibofsky, MD, JD, FACP, FCLM

Consultant: AbbVie, Amgen, Antares Pharma, Inc, Celgene, Iroko, and Pfizer

Speaker’s bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Antares Pharma, Inc, Celgene, Pfizer, and UCB

Stock/shareholder: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Regeneron

Gary M. Owens, MD

Consultant: AbbVie, Crescendo Bioscience, and Johnson & Johnson

Joseph Melton, PhD

Stock/shareholder: Johnson & Johnson

Elizabeth Paczolt, MD, FACNM, has no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

The American Journal of Managed Care

Publishing Staff—Jeff D. Prescott, PharmD, RPh; Ida Delmendo; and Tara Petersen have disclosed no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests.

Pharmacy Times Office of Continuing Professional Education

Planning staff—David Heckard; Maryjo Dixon, RPh; Donna Fausak; and Nathalie Harden have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

An anonymous peer reviewer was part of the content validation and conflict resolution.

The peer reviewer has no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

Off-label Disclosure and Disclaimer

The contents of this CE supplement may include information regarding the use of products that may be inconsistent with or outside the approved labeling for these products in the United States. Physicians and pharmacists should note that the use of these products outside current approved labeling is considered experimental and are advised to consult prescribing information for these products.

For additional information about approved uses, including approved indications, contraindications, and warnings, participants are advised to consult prescribing information for all products discussed. The information provided in this CE activity is for continuing medical and pharmacy education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical or pharmacy judgment of a physician or pharmacist relative to diagnostic, treatment, or management options for a specific patient’s medical condition.

The opinions expressed in the content are solely those of the individual faculty members and do not reflect those of The American Journal of Managed Care, Pharmacy Times Office of Continuing Professional Education, or any of the companies that provided commercial support for this CE activity.

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