Changes in treatment adherence and behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Results from cross-sectional study in the IORRA cohort.

KEYWORDS: COVID-19; pandemic; adherence; methotrexate; biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; rheumatoid arthritis EN COVID-19 pandemic adherence methotrexate biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs rheumatoid arthritis Rapid Communication During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic,the behaviour and adherence to medications in patients withrheumatic diseases have become major concerns. Among 185 patients who reducedor discontinued RA medications, the proportion of patientswhose self-reported RA activity A: did not worsen; B: worsened,and RA medications were returned to usual dosages;and C: worsened, but RA medications remained reduced ordiscontinued was A: 63.8%, B: 26.5%, and C: 3.8%. RA medications were reducedin 96 (3.2%) patients (interval extension, 47 patients; dosereduction, 50 patients) and were discontinued in 89 (3.0%)patients. [Extracted from the article]