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Value in Prescribing bDMARD Program

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bDMARDs are a class of medicine that have made a significant improvement in the management of chronic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and chronic dermatological conditions. These biological medicines are part of the fastest‐growing sector of the pharmaceutical market. This is an increasingly complex area for consumers, medical specialists and pharmacists to navigate. 

The Value in Prescribing Biological Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (bDMARDs) Program was a three-year Commonwealth Government funded program to optimise the quality use of these medications which ran from May 2019 until the closure of NPS MedicineWise at the end of 2022.  

Targeted Therapies Alliance

With funding from the Australian Government Department of Health, the Targeted Therapies Alliance was formed as a consortium of NPS MedicineWise and a range of organisations representing specialists, pharmacists, consumers and research experts. The Targeted Therapies Alliance developed and provided access to up-to-date and evidence-based information about the safe and wise use of bDMARDs and other specialised medicines to ensure the best possible health and economic outcomes.

Range of interventions

The first focus area was rheumatology and the interventions developed included 

  • An educational visiting service (otherwise known as academic detailing) made available to rheumatologists, gastroenterologists and dermatologists, providing focused and tailored clinician education. Based on Evidence Summaries addressing key practice areas for gastroenterology and dermatology and resulted in a review of relevant research evidence with guidance for clinicians. 
  • Information and resources for consumers, including practical tools and roadmaps for people with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. 

Consumer information and resources

Addressing complex quality use of medicines (QUM) issues required the development of interventions for both health professionals and consumers with some of consumer interventions designed to be delivered by a health professional as part of routine care.  Consumer resources developed by the program included: 
  • Roadmaps to support understanding of how to manage arthritis, including self-management techniques and the use of medicine 
  • Action Plans for safe use of methotrexate and managing an arthritis flare 
  • Fact Sheets and a Decision Aid to support patients having a conversation with their health professional about changing medicine when their rheumatoid arthritis is well-controlled. 
View the resources


Updated May 2026 

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