Table 2 Information on prescribing disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs
From: Primary care physicians' perspectives towards managing rheumatoid arthritis: room for improvement
| Â | Total | DMARD prescribers a | DMARD non-prescribers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Â | n= 266 b | n= 217 | n= 49 |
Initial prescription, continuation, or both | Â | Â | Â |
   First only |  | 20 (9%) |  |
   Continuation only |  | 98 (45%) |  |
   Both |  | 99 (46%) |  |
Prescribed DMARDs | Â | Â | Â |
   Methotrexate |  | 195 (90%) |  |
   Hydroxychloroquine |  | 171 (79%) |  |
   Sulfasalazine |  | 135 (62%) |  |
   Leflunomide |  | 43 (20%) |  |
   Gold |  | 35 (16%) |  |
   Azathioprine |  | 54 (25%) |  |
   Cyclosporine |  | 32 (15%) |  |
   Abatacept |  | 8 (4%) |  |
   Etanercept |  | 64 (29%) |  |
   Infliximab |  | 56 (26%) |  |
   Rituximab |  | 20 (9%) |  |
   Adalimumab |  | 43 (20%) |  |
   Certolizumab pegol |  | 2 (1%) |  |
   Golimumab |  | 1 (0%) |  |
Type of DMARDs prescribeda | Â | Â | Â |
   Biologic and non-biologic DMARDs |  | 96 (44%) |  |
   Non-biologic DMARDs only |  | 118 (54%) |  |
   Biologic DMARDs only |  | 2 (1%) |  |
Factors that make patients inappropriate candidates for DMARDs | Â | Â | Â |
   No need (well controlled without DMARDs) | 131 (49%) | 110 (51%) | 21 (43%) |
   Too sick to take a DMARD | 92 (35%) | 78 (36%) | 14 (29%) |
   Side effects of DMARDs too problematic | 148 (56%) | 128 (59%) | 20 (41%) |
   Drug interactions | 83 (31%) | 74 (34%) | 9 (18%) |
   Drug cost and monitoring are too high | 142 (55%) | 115 (53%) | 27 (55%) |
   Cannot get laboratory monitoring | 20 (8%) | 17 (8%) | 3 (6%) |
Best time to initiate DMARDs | Â | Â | Â |
   After a trial of NSAIDs or steroids | 92 (35%) | 75 (35%) | 17 (35%) |
   Within the first 6 months of diagnosis | 159 (60%) | 132 (61%) | 27 (55%) |
   At least 6 months after diagnosis | 13 (5%) | 9 (4%) | 4 (8%) |
Comfort level starting a DMARDc | Â | Â | Â |
   Very comfortable | 23 (9%) | 23 (11%) | 0 (0%) |
   Somewhat comfortable | 79 (30%) | 73 (34%) | 6 (12%) |
   Somewhat uncomfortable | 112 (42%) | 89 (41%) | 23 (47%) |
   Very uncomfortable | 50 (19%) | 30 (14%) | 20 (41%) |
Comfort level continuing a DMARDd | Â | Â | Â |
   Very comfortable | 75 (28%) | 71 (33%) | 4 (8%) |
   Somewhat comfortable | 130 (49%) | 107 (50%) | 23 (47%) |
   Somewhat uncomfortable | 54 (20%) | 37 (17%) | 17 (35%) |
   Very uncomfortable | 6 (2%) | 1 (0%) | 5 (10%) |