Alvaro-Gracia José María, Arredondo Miguel, Daudén Esteban, Meca-Lallana Virginia, Morell Alberto, Gisbert Javier P, Fernández-Jiménez Guillermo, García de Vicuña Rosario, Aspa Francisco Javier, García de Yébenes María Jesús, Carmona Loreto
Biologics Therapy Unit, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Madrid, Spain; Rheumatology Service, Hospital de La Princesa, Madrid, Spain.
Biologics Therapy Unit, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa (IIS-IP), Madrid, Spain.
Reumatol Clin (Engl Ed). 2019 Mar-Apr;15(2):63-68. doi: 10.1016/j.reuma.2018.11.008. Epub 2019 Jan 26.
We herein describe an inter-specialists unit for the monitoring and management of biological therapies and analyze the utilization of biological agents across specialties and diseases. Protocols and therapeutic objectives, as well as outcomes and protocol deviations, are shared and discussed periodically between specialists. All patients treated at one centre with any biological treatment from January 2000 by rheumatology, gastroenterology, dermatology, or neurology, regardless diagnosis, are identified by Clinical Pharmacy and included in an ongoing database that detects use and outcome. The drugs, survival, and reasons for discontinuation differ significantly across specialties. This approach has helped us recognizing the challenges and size of the problem of sharing expensive medications across specialties, and has served as a starting point to contribute to the better use of these compounds.
