JointHealth™ express October 27, 2015
Let BC PharmaCare hear "Your Voice" on apremilast
BC PharmaCare is looking for your input on apremilast for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis
Apremilast is an oral, small-molecule compound, taken as one tablet twice a day. The medication works by inhibiting the action of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4), an enzyme found in immune cells. The drug is now being considered for coverage under the British Columbia Ministry of Health's PharmaCare program. By filling out a questionnaire on a website called Your Voice, you can provide feedback about apremilast for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
You can give input if you are a B.C. resident and have PsA, a caregiver to someone with PsA, or if your group represents people who live with PsA.
The input is reviewed by the Drug Benefit Council, which then gives recommendations on whether a medication should be covered, and how, by BC PharmaCare. BC PharmaCare then makes a decision based on those recommendations and available resources. Policies and plans already in place also factor in the decision making process.
It is an opportunity for you to share your perspectives on medication decisions that affect you or someone you provide care for.
Please click here to let BC PharmaCare hear Your Voice. Or, go to the following links:
Alternatively, you can email us your input at feedback@jointhealth.org or call us at 604-974-1366. We can send it as a patient group on your behalf. Please provide your input to us by Monday, November 16 so that we may submit the questionnaire in time for the deadline.
About apremilast
Apremilast is an oral, small-molecule compound, taken as two tablets twice a day. Apremilast, alone or in combination with methotrexate, is indicated for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in adult patients who have had an inadequate response, intolerance, or contraindication to a prior disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD)1. It was issued a Notice of Compliance (NOC) from Health Canada for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis in adult patients on June 10, 2015.
About psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis which causes swelling and pain in and around joints, as well as a scaly rash on the skin. Joints most commonly affected are the fingers, wrists, toes, knees, shoulders, elbows, and ankles. Psoriatic arthritis affects men and women in equal numbers, and like many forms of inflammatory arthritis, it tends to strike people in the prime of their lives; most commonly, people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50.
Let BC PharmaCare hear "Your Voice" on apremilast
BC PharmaCare is looking for your input on apremilast for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis
Apremilast is an oral, small-molecule compound, taken as one tablet twice a day. The medication works by inhibiting the action of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4), an enzyme found in immune cells. The drug is now being considered for coverage under the British Columbia Ministry of Health's PharmaCare program. By filling out a questionnaire on a website called Your Voice, you can provide feedback about apremilast for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
You can give input if you are a B.C. resident and have PsA, a caregiver to someone with PsA, or if your group represents people who live with PsA.
The input is reviewed by the Drug Benefit Council, which then gives recommendations on whether a medication should be covered, and how, by BC PharmaCare. BC PharmaCare then makes a decision based on those recommendations and available resources. Policies and plans already in place also factor in the decision making process.
It is an opportunity for you to share your perspectives on medication decisions that affect you or someone you provide care for.
Please click here to let BC PharmaCare hear Your Voice. Or, go to the following links:
- To view the information sheet for apremilast: click here
- For the Patient Questionnaire: click here
- For the Caregiver Questionnaire: click here
- For the Patient Group Questionnaire: click here (Patient groups are required to register their name with the Ministry of Health before making their submission.)
Alternatively, you can email us your input at feedback@jointhealth.org or call us at 604-974-1366. We can send it as a patient group on your behalf. Please provide your input to us by Monday, November 16 so that we may submit the questionnaire in time for the deadline.
About apremilast
Apremilast is an oral, small-molecule compound, taken as two tablets twice a day. Apremilast, alone or in combination with methotrexate, is indicated for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in adult patients who have had an inadequate response, intolerance, or contraindication to a prior disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD)1. It was issued a Notice of Compliance (NOC) from Health Canada for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis in adult patients on June 10, 2015.
About psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis which causes swelling and pain in and around joints, as well as a scaly rash on the skin. Joints most commonly affected are the fingers, wrists, toes, knees, shoulders, elbows, and ankles. Psoriatic arthritis affects men and women in equal numbers, and like many forms of inflammatory arthritis, it tends to strike people in the prime of their lives; most commonly, people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50.