TY - JOUR T1 - Canadian Rheumatology Association Recommendations for Pharmacological Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Traditional and Biologic Disease-modifying Antirheumatic Drugs JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 1559 LP - 1582 DO - 10.3899/jrheum.110207 VL - 39 IS - 8 AU - VIVIAN P. BYKERK AU - POONEH AKHAVAN AU - GLEN S. HAZLEWOOD AU - ORIT SCHIEIR AU - ANNE DOOLEY AU - BOULOS HARAOUI AU - MAJED KHRAISHI AU - SHARON A. LECLERCQ AU - JEAN LÉGARÉ AU - DIANE P. MOSHER AU - JAMES PENCHARZ AU - JANET E. POPE AU - JOHN THOMSON AU - CARTER THORNE AU - MICHEL ZUMMER AU - CLAIRE BOMBARDIER Y1 - 2012/08/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/39/8/1559.abstract N2 - Objective. The Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) has developed recommendations for the pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with traditional and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) in 2 parts. Part 1 is reported here. Methods. The CRA Therapeutics Committee assembled a national working group of RA clinical experts, researchers, patient consumers, and a general practitioner. Treatment questions were developed a priori based on results of a national needs assessment survey. A systematic review of all clinical practice guidelines and consensus statements regarding treatment with traditional and biologic DMARD in patients with RA published between January 2000 and June 2010 was performed in Medline, Embase, and CINAHL databases, and the grey literature. Guideline quality was assessed by 2 independent reviewers, and guideline characteristics, recommendations, and supporting evidence from observational studies and randomized controlled trials were synthesized into evidence tables. The full working group reviewed the evidence tables and developed recommendations using a modified Delphi technique. Results. Five overarching principles and 26 recommendations addressing general RA management strategies and treatment with glucocorticoids and traditional and biologic DMARD were developed for rheumatologists, other primary prescribers of RA drug therapies, and patients with RA. Conclusion. These recommendations were developed based on a synthesis of international guidelines, supporting evidence, and expert consensus considering the Canadian healthcare context with the intention of promoting best practices and improving healthcare delivery for persons with RA. ER -