bDMARDs
Value in Prescribing biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) Program
The Targeted Therapies Alliance
The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) has joined NPS MedicineWise and seven other organisations representing pharmacists, specialists, consumers and research experts to form the Targeted Therapies Alliance. The Alliance provides stewardship and direction about the safe and wise use of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and other specialised medicines.
Resources have been developed for the following conditions:
- Inflammatory arthritis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Plaque psoriasis
Inflammatory arthritis
The Targeted Therapies Alliance has developed information and resources for health professionals and consumers, including practical tools for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) also known as axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA).
Resources for pharmacists
- SHPA webinar: Low-dose methotrexate for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis (replay)
- PSA webinar: Addressing methotrexate myths and improving biosimilar understanding (replay)
- PSA article: Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and inflammatory arthritis
- PSA online learning module: Optimising the use of biological and targeted synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs – the key role of pharmacists
- PSA practice audit tool - Methotrexate and bDMARDs: Optimising use in rheumatoid arthritis
- An Australian living guideline for the pharmacological management of inflammatory arthritis
- Supporting safe practices for low-dose methotrexate: Position statement on the use of low-dose methotrexate (PDF)
For more information, visit the Inflammatory arthritis for health professionals page on the NPS MedicineWise website.
Resources for patients
- Video: Living with methotrexate: Suzanne's story
- Rheumatoid arthritis road map (PDF)
- Psoriatic arthritis roadmap (PDF)
- Ankylosing spondylitis roadmap (PDF)
- Methotrexate action plan (PDF)
- Decision aid: My rheumatoid arthritis is under control - what should I do about my medicine? (PDF)
- Fact sheet: My rheumatoid arthritis is well controlled with a biologic or targeted medicine: can I take less medicine? (PDF)
- A flares action plan (PDF)
For more information, visit the Inflammatory arthritis for consumers page on the NPS MedicineWise website.
Inflammatory bowel disease
The Targeted Therapies Alliance has developed information and resources for health professionals and consumers, including practical tools for people with Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis.
Resources for pharmacists
- PSA webinar: IBD: Optimsing inflammatory bowel disease management - what pharmacists need to know (replay)
- Webinar: IBD: Identified uncertainties in optimising biologic and small molecule medicines - the latest evidence (replay)
- MedicineWise News article: IBD in primary care and beyond: a round table discussion
- PSA online learning module: Inflammatory bowel disease - a focus on ulcerative colitis
- PSA article: Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease
For more information, visit the Inflammatory bowel disease for health professional page on the NPS MedicineWise website.
Resources for patients
- Action plan: Thiopurines for inflammatory bowel disease (PDF)
- Decision aid: Deciding on the bext way to use my ulcerative colitis medicines (PDF)
- Action plan: Low-dose methotrexate for Crohn disease (PDF)
For more information, visit the Inflammatory bowel disease for consumers page on the NPS MedicineWise website.
Plaque psoriasis
The Targeted Therapies Alliance has developed information and resources for health professionals and consumers, including practical tools for people with plaque psoriasis.
Resources for pharmacists
For more information, visit the plaque psoriasis for health professional page on the NPS MedicineWise website.
Resources for patients
- Fact sheet: Topical treatments for plaque psoriasis (PDF)
- Decision aid: My options when topical treatments aren't enough (PDF)
- Action plan: Low-dose methotrexate for plaque psoriasis (PDF)
For more information, visit the plaque psoriasis for consumers page on the NPS MedicineWise website.
Additional resources: All conditions
- Biologic Devices poster (PDF)
- SHPA bDMARDs quick reference guide
- SHPA webinar: Biologics and biosimilars - a practical guide for pharmacists (replay)
- PSA webinar: Corticosteroids - indication guides for optimal use (replay)
- ARA podcast: Demystifying biologics, their biosimilars and the PBS
- PSA bDMARDs dispensing and counselling checklist
- Avoiding the nocebo effect: Talking to your patients about biosimilars
- NPS MedicineWise News article: Biologics, biosimilars and PBS sustainability
- Understanding biosimilars: For your patients
- For your patients: NPS MedicineWise app
- For your patients: Medicines list
For more information about the Targeted Therapies Alliance and the Value in Prescribing bDMARDs program, visit nps.org.au/bdmards/pharmacists
