Canadians living with lupus are finding it increasingly difficult to access potentially life-changing medications depending on where they live, medication insurance coverage and type of medications they need.
In a new episode of Arthritis at Home, Cheryl Koehn speaks with Dr. Stephanie Keeling, Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta and a member of the lupus working group – consisting of lupus specialists from across Canada along with two national patient organizations, Arthritis Consumer Experts and Lupus Canada.
Together, they discuss the two common types of lupus – systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis – and changes over the past year in lupus treatment and care in Canada. Dr. Keeling also describes the work of the Lupus Working Group and its advocacy efforts to address inequities in lupus care across Canada. Dr. Keeling ends the episode with a look ahead at Canadian Rheumatology Association’s efforts to create clinical guidelines for the treatment of lupus in Canada.
About Dr. Stephanie Keeling
Dr. Keeling is a former board member and current member of the guidelines committee of the Canadian Rheumatology Association and a member and treasurer of the Canadian Network of Improved Outcomes in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (CaNIOS). CANIOS is a Canada-wide group of rheumatologists collaborating to study Canadian SLE patients. She is also the treasurer of the Lupus Clinical Investigation Network (LUCIN), a North American network of rheumatologists who are working to improve the lives of patients with lupus.
Additional learning resources
- JointHealthTM insight: Medication reimbursement coverage in Canada
- 2024 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Guideline for the Screening, Treatment, and Management of Lupus Nephritis
- A Thousand Faces of Inequity, CRAJ Spring 2024
- Inside ACR Convergence 2024 : Day 3 Highlights