Counseling Points - December 2008 - (Page 10)

on the Foundation’s website dedicated to multiple issues involved in living with RA. Of particular interest is a link to an online community called “RA Connect” where patients can interact with others in a forum to discuss disease-related subjects. There are also links to information about products designed to assist with activities of daily living, drugs, pain management, arthritis facts, research activities, and clinical trials. The Local Office Directory on the Arthritis Foundation’s website helps to match patients with programs and activities that are offered in their community.19 This directory is available at www.arthritis.org/ chaptermap.php. Users can enter their zip code to bring up news and information from their local Arthritis Foundation chapter. There are also listings available of the Arthritis Foundation’s self-help and exercise programs, such as aquatics and Tai Chi. The Medline Plus website is particularly easy for patients to understand and offers valuable information on the diagnosis and treatment of RA. 20 A service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, this site provides disease tutorials, a glossary of common terms associated with RA, informative journal articles, and much more.20 Many medical centers offer websites devoted to specific diseases and their management. For example, Johns Hopkins University and the Mayo Clinic sponsor websites specifically on arthritis.21,22 Both provide resources and patient-friendly explanations for the complex processes involved with the disease. Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) The biologic agents used to treat RA are very expensive. Drug manufacturers recognize this challenge and have dedicated programs specifically designed to help patients pay for these treatments. For those without insurance or who have been denied coverage, as well as those who need assistance with co-pays, most biologic drug manufacturers have financial assistance programs easily accessible through their Table 3. Patient Assistance Programs for Biologic DMARDs24 Drug Manufacturer ® Program Information Abatacept (Orencia ) Bristol-Myers Squibb Bristol-Myers Squibb Patient Assistance Foundation, Inc. (ORENCIA®) P.O. Box 991 Somerville, NJ 08876 1-800-736-0003, Option 4 (phone) 1-866-694-2545 (fax) www.orencia.com 1-866-4-HUMIRA http://www.humira.com Adalimumab (Humira®) Abbott Immunology Anakinra (Kineret®) Amgen Kineret® (anakinra) Customer Call Center 1-866-KINERET (546-3738) www.kineretrx.com ENcourage Foundation™ 1-888-463-2735 www.enbrel.com Etanercept (Enbrel®) Amgen & Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Infliximab (Remicade®) Centocor, US Remicade® (infliximab) Patient Assistance Program P.O. Box 221709 Charlotte, NC 28222-1709 1-866-489-5957 (phone) www.remicade.com Genentech Access to Care Foundation 1 DNA Way South San Francisco, CA 94080-4990 1-800-530-3083 (phone) www.rituxan.com Rituximab (Rituxan®) Genentech, Inc. & Roche COUNSELING POINTS™ 10 http://www.arthritis.org/chaptermap.php http://www.arthritis.org/chaptermap.php http://www.orencia.com http://www.humira.com http://www.kineretrx.com http://www.enbrel.com http://www.remicade.com http://www.rituxan.com

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Counseling Points - December 2008

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