A case study on rheumatoid arthritis.

At a time when many managed care organizations increasingly shift costs to patients through tiered formularies and widening copay differentials, biologic agents represent a significant clinical and financial challenge unlikely to be managed optimally with tiered formularies and greater patient cost sharing. The information discussed in this article is intended for healthcare professionals involved with rheumatoid arthritis therapy, including but not limited to physicians in both the inpatient and outpatient setting, and for other managed care professionals, including medical directors, pharmacy directors, long-term care decision makers, nurses, pharmacists, and case managers.