Category: Events & Meetings

DMARDs guideline for prescriptions and monitoring

The latest guidance is out for the prescription and monitoring of non-biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). It’s aimed at primary and secondary care practitioners managing patients with rheumatic disease in the UK.

Significant updates include:

(1) Harmonisation of monitoring schedules, recommending that all DMARDs that require laboratory monitoring follow the same frequency of testing

(2) More nuanced discussion of the use of methotrexate in lung disease is provided, drawing from the two large meta-analyses recently published.

(3) Significant change is made regarding the evaluation of retinal toxicity for hydroxychloroquine users:

Lead author Dr James Galloway, Senior Clinical Lecturer at King’s College London says:
“These updates have two major focuses: firstly, streamlining monitoring schedules wherever possible, given the myriad of different regimens across drugs, and most of the schedule variations were somewhat arbitrary in their origins; second, to review and incorporate the evidence base available, acknowledging several key publications that have emerged since the first guidance.…

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NRAS – RA Awareness Week 2017

RA Awareness Week is coming soon…19-25 June 2017.

Awareness packs will be sent out in early April and you can request your copy by emailing enquiries@nras.org.uk today.

Over 30 charity CEOs write to DWP about changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

On 15th March, the Chief Executives of over 30 charities and organisations (including NRAS) wrote an open letter to Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Penny Mordaunt, urging her not to proceed with damaging changes to Personal Independence Payments.…

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Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is Friday 12th May

Organise a coffee and cake morning on Friday 12th May for Fibromyalgia Awareness Day!

The 12th May is recognised as the international fibromyalgia awareness day. Charities and groups around the world will be organising events to increase awareness of the condition. Why not celebrate with us and raise awareness by organising a coffee and cake event? This could be with your family and friends in your home, in your workplace, in a local cafe or even a picnic in the park.…

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Calling all back pain sufferers

The Back Pain Show – 19 & 20 May 2017

After a decade, The Back Pain Show has moved from Olympia London to St Andrews Birmingham, to give access to sufferers from the Midlands and the North of England. This iconic, two-day show is a hub for sufferers to meet doctors and therapists who provide treatment and manufacturers who supply both preventative and therapeutic equipment.

There are many causes of back pain including crush fractures of the spine which are usually caused by osteoporosis.…

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New Self-Management Event in Coventry

Arthritis Action will be holding a two-day Self-Management Event in Coventry on Wednesday 26th April 2017 at 2 pm – 4.30 pm and Thursday 27th April 2017 at 10.00 am – 1.00 pm.

 

We aim to help our attendees take control of the symptoms of their arthritis, covering topics such as:

  • The impact of physical therapies
  • How you can best manage your pain
  • The benefits of exercise and a healthy diet
  • Ways to work in partnership with healthcare professionals

This event will be free of charge and refreshments will be provided, and is open to all.…

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Could long-term conditions reach the point where patients are actually driving the research agenda?

by Kate Gilbert, PhD, Project Lead for PMRGCAuk’s Rheuma Research Roadshows

I’m writing this on a train on a February evening, feeling worn out but excited, a state of mind familiar to any development worker who has just launched a major project. In this case, the PMRGCAuk team have just held the first of our Research Roadshows, funded by a grant from the Wellcome Trust, focusing on Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica. The roadshows are going to take place at research hubs around the country. …

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Health and Wellbeing at Work conference

7-8 March 2017
NEC Birmingham

Now in its 11th successful year, Health and Wellbeing at Work is widely recognised as the UK’s leading event for improving the health, wellbeing, safety and performance of today’s workforce.

With 20 conference programmes, an impressive speaker line up and an unrivalled exhibition showcasing the latest ideas, innovations and products from who’s who in the health and wellbeing arena, it is no wonder that over 3500 delegates attend every year.

Add to that the prestigious support from leading professional organisations and an engaged and highly influential audience, and you will want to make sure you are part of the success story.…

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EULAR PARE Best Practice Webinars

EULAR has decided to organise a webinar every 3-4 months which will be run by one of the member organisations of EULAR PARE and which will highlight and introduce some of their activities.

You and your colleagues are kindly invited to join us for our second webinar. Everyone is welcome so please spread this information in your organisation!

This second session will be led by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society which is a member of ARMA, EULAR’s British member organisation. Ailsa Bosworth, CEO of the organisation, and her colleagues Clare Jacklin and Conn O`Neill will share information around two successful projects:

‘Behind the Smile’

This is a project we did in collaboration with Lilly.

…

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New self-management event in Bury St Edmunds

Arthritis Action will be holding a new two day Self-Management Event on 15th and 16th March 2017 in Bury St Edmunds.

We aim to help our attendees take control of the symptoms of their arthritis, covering topics such as:

  • The impact of physical therapies
  • How you can best manage your pain
  • The benefits of exercise and a healthy diet
  • Ways to work in partnership with healthcare professionals

This event  will be free of charge and refreshments will be provided, and is open to all.…

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Free Scan at Back Pain Show

Visitors to a major exhibition in Birmingham this May dedicated to making life easier for back pain sufferers are being offered a free scan which will tell them if they are at risk of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a common systemic disease in which bone becomes fragile due to the reduction of bone tissue and is more prone to fracture particularly in the hip, spine and wrist area.

One in two women and one in five men in the UK will suffer a fracture after the age of 50 and there are 3 million people in the UK alone suffering from osteoporosis.…

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