We are fortunate in our office to have the opportunity to take part in research of new biosimilar medications before they come to the market. Although the responsibilities involved with clinical trial research are sometimes burdensome, it is often interesting to get a...
I first met AP, a 48-year-old woman, about 8 years ago when I was new at my current rheumatology practice. From the very start of our relationship, AP has been one of my favorite patients, although she has, unfortunately, had her ups and downs with the management of...
I first met EJ when he was 28 years old, a full 15 years after he was initially diagnosed with psoriasis and started on topical steroids. His initial treatments were largely unsuccessful, as EJ had significant, thick plaques that proved to be resistant to treatment....
A few months ago, a new patient, SR, came into our office with a long and varied history of rheumatic disease. A 34-year-old Caucasian male with a nearly 20-year history of plaque, scalp, and nail psoriasis, SR was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) a decade...
The treat-to-target approach to care is a hot topic in medicine and is now widely accepted as a best practice in our patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We read about it in the literature and hear about it at conferences regularly. The evidence in other...
The majority of patients we see on a day-to-day basis in our rheumatology practices require straightforward decisions and straightforward solutions. But there are always outliers. On a daily basis, it seems like there are always 1 or 2 patients I see who require...
A very long time ago in my nursing school days, I learned that each kidney has approximately 1 million nephrons comprised of convoluted tubules. Their job is to filter waste products. Although it sometimes may feel like it, we really do not have to traverse 1 million...
When I first learned that my insurance required me to use a specialty pharmacy for my biologic medication, it didn’t sound too bad. My first baby was only a few months old, so having the medication delivered rather than having to drag my infant to the local pharmacy...
The challenges of medication adherence in children are as diverse as the populations we serve. Among other things, adherence in children can be affected by parental beliefs, medication taste, smells or side effects, pain associated with route of administration, peer...
I have been caring for KN, a 57-year-old woman with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) for approximately 9 months. When she initially presented to our office, she had oligoarthritis, sacroiliitis, and nail involvement. Her medication history included an inadequate response to...