Nurse-led care for the management of rheumatoid arthritis: a review of the global literature and proposed strategies for implementation in Africa and the Middle East.

Globally, increasing demand for rheumatology services has led to a greater reliance on non-physician healthcare professionals (HCPs), such as rheumatology nurse specialists, to deliver care as part of a multidisciplinary team. Across Africa and the Middle East (AfME), there remains a shortage of rheumatology HCPs, including rheumatology nurses, which presents a major challenge to the delivery of rheumatology services, and subsequently the treatment and management of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To further explore the importance of nurse-led care (NLC) for patients with RA and create a set of proposed strategies for the implementation of NLC in the AfME region, we used a modified Delphi technique.

Review of biologics, biosimilars, and intended copies in rheumatology, and current practice in Iraq.

Biologic therapies are an important option in the treatment of patients with rheumatic disease. As the development of potential biosimilars increases, many countries are following the guidelines developed by the WHO, European Medicines Agency, or US Food and Drug Administration to create country-specific regulations for the review and approval of these products. Iraq does not yet have such regulations, and this presents a potential safety concern for patients.

Biosimilars in rheumatology: recommendations for regulation and use in Middle Eastern countries.

The increasing availability of biosimilar medicines in Middle Eastern regions may provide an opportunity to increase the number of rheumatology patients who have access to traditionally more expensive biologic medicines. However, as well as a lack of real-world data on the use of biosimilar medicines in practice, the availability of intended copies in the region may undermine physician confidence in prescribing legitimate biosimilar medicines. There is a need for regional recommendations for healthcare professionals to ensure that biosimilar drugs can be used safely.