Happy Holidays! Season’s Greetings!

Looking back on 2020, it has been a challenging year for so many of us. We have tried our best to support the arthritis community throughout the pandemic by working to address drug shortages, providing evidence-based resources, hosting a virtual fashion show and engaging all of you in the #COVIDArthritis Twitter chat. To end the year on a lighter note, the CAPA Board of Directors wish you the best holiday season along our beloved pets.

Happy holidays and all the best in 2021!

What have we been up to?

New flu vaccine resource available! As we head into the winter with the COVID-19 pandemic still in full force, many public health authorities are recommending immunization with the flu vaccine. We developed a resource on the flu vaccine with our Medical Advisory Committee and it provides special guidance on timing vaccination with arthritis medications. Check out the English and French resources on our website today!

Meet CAPA Board Member, Therese Lane – “I like living in a solution instead of a problem” – wise words from Therese Lane, who joined the CAPA Board of Directors in January. We invite you to listen to Therese Lane’s compelling story of living with arthritis and hear about her journey from homelessness to patient advocate!

Pain Waves Podcast – CAPA President, Linda Wilhelm is a member of the Canadian Pain Taskforce and is featured on the Pain Waves podcast where she spoke with the Taskforce co-chair, Maria Hudspith. You can learn about the Task Force’s latest work, what they heard from Canadians during their consultations, the expected impact of their latest report to government, and next steps for the Task Force’s three-year mandate. Kick back, relax and listen to this insightful discussion!

Speaking up against bullying in the patient community – Bullying can happen in all parts of life – including in the patient space. CAPA Board members Dawn Richards and Emily Sirotich wrote this article for the British Medical Journal (BMJ) about what this looks like in the patient partner world. Read all about it on the BMJ website!

Get Involved!

CADTH submissions underway – We are working on several CADTH submissions including one on Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) for Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) and Anakinra (Canakinumab) for Still’s disease and Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (SJIA). We want to hear your thoughts on how PsA, Still’s disease or SJIA impacts your life and your experiences with current treatments. If you live with any of these illnesses or have experience with these medications, you can complete the Upadacitinib or Anakinra survey. Have your say today!

Write to your MPP to #SaveTAPNow – The Arthritis Program (TAP) at Southlake Regional Health Centre is being shut down in January 2021 and patients will lose essential care. You can help by telling the Ontario government to provide the funding to keep TAP open. Share your perspective by using the sample templates and Twitter messaging available here! 

Stay Informed!

Creaky Joints resource on the COVID-19 vaccine – Creaky Joints developed an excellent resource outlining the latest advice from medical organizations about the new mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The resource outlines what major medical authorities in the U.S. are saying about the COVID-19 vaccine in people who are immunocompromised. Stay informed and read this resource today! 

Report of the Disability Advisory Committee – The Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) was established by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)  to improve the way it administers and interprets tax measures for people with disabilities. The DAC issued their 2020 annual report and it can be viewed on the CRA website.

Biosimilar implementation in Alberta – If you live in Alberta and have your biologics reimbursed through the government sponsored plan, you may be impacted by the new biosimilars program. Get informed about how this might impact your care by visiting their website. 

What are patient preferences in clinical trials? Megan Thomas is a Master’s student at the University of Calgary and developed a video focused on using patient preferences in clinical trials. She was awarded the top award at the conference and the video was developed with input from CAPA Board members, Laurie Proulx and Dawn Richards. Check out this award-winning video today!

Website and social media updates – We are regularly updating our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channel with new information. Don’t forget to follow us on these social media channels to keep up to date on the latest arthritis and advocacy information!