Underuse of Methotrexate in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A National Analysis of Prescribing Practices in the US.

Objective: Methotrexate (MTX) is the anchor drug in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) due to its effectiveness, tolerability, and cost. This study examines MTX prescribing practices in the US from 2009 to 2014.

Methods: Symphony Health Solutions, which covers 274 million patients in the US, was used to identify patients diagnosed with RA who were naive to MTX in 2009 and 2012.