Implications for managed care and specialty pharmacy in rheumatoid arthritis

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be very costly. Cost-effectiveness studies provide insight into the value of treatment from a number of perspectives (eg, societal, healthcare). In most cases, the indirect costs of RA can offset the direct costs in 2 ways. Prevention of disease progression can limit future costs, such as those related to surgery and hospitalization. When disease progression is minimized, patients feel better and can have improved work productivity. Disease control of RA has improved over time, and this is attributed primarily to the introduction of more effective therapies. Despite the effectiveness of new therapies, there are a number of barriers to optimal treatment. Barriers include lack of education for patients and practitioners about RA, poor patient-provider communication, uncertainty regarding which treatments to choose, cost, and lack of adherence. Specialty pharmacy and disease therapy management programs can assist patients by providing structure, education, and mechanisms to improve treatment adherence and persistence to optimize therapy.