JointHealth
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JointHealth™ express   November 28, 2011

In this issue of JointHealth™ monthly:

Report Card and Medications Chart Edition

4.6 Million Canadians Have Arthritis. With so many people living with arthritis, comes an immense burden on individuals and society. The disease:
  • Causes pain, lowers quality of life, and sometimes reduces life expectancy
  • Affects people of all ages, and can strike in the prime of life, forcing individuals to rely on the healthcare system and sometimes preventing them from working.
  • Costs the Canadian economy an estimated $33 billion due to healthcare expenses and lost productivity.
While there are no cures for the over 100 types of arthritis, scientific advances and improved treatments make a difference. Early, aggressive treatment is the key to slowing or preventing damage to joints and organs. Unfortunately, reimbursement access to medications is not equal across the country, which means some Canadians with arthritis have fewer options, or have to “jump through more hoops”, to treat their disease than other citizens.

Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) has responded to that problem by creating the JointHealth™ Report Card on provincial formulary reimbursement listings for biologic response modifiers (“biologics”) to propel change. The Report Card compares medication formularies from across Canada, ranking each one based on how many biologics are covered, out of a possible eight, for the four most common forms of inflammatory arthritis.

In this issue of JointHealth™ monthly:
  • Review the Report Card to find out how your province compares to the rest of Canada.
  • Learn about the four most common inflammatory arthritis types featured in the Report Card.
  • Read the JointHealth™ Arthritis Medications Guide, a chart listing important information about the medications used to treat arthritis.
  • Find out how you can be an advocate for equitable healthcare.