For patients just starting a biologic drug
If your rheumatology team considers that your rheumatic disease should be treated with a biologic drug you will be:
- Provided with information on the drug. Here are some useful links for further information
- Assessed for your how severe your disease is with e.g. a DAS28 score, joint count
- Asked about risk factors for infection, other health issues that may be important and for example if you are planning to have a baby or plans for exotic holidays!
- A set of blood tests and a chest x-ray will be requested to screen you for some infections including: Hepatitis, HIV and tuberculosis. We also want to check that you have had chicken pox and are immune to this virus.
- You will be referred to the Virtual Biologic clinic
The Virtual Biologic clinic (VBC)
This is a multidisciplinary team that will first ensure that you are eligible and you have not health risk safe to receive the biologic drug.
Education for patients at Dudley Group NHS FT on biologic and targeted synthetic drugs:
For detailed education pack for patients with rheumatoid arthritis at Dudley group who are commencing a biologic drug please click here:
Dudley Rheumatology RA VBC patient education veriosn 2.1 11th Nov 2024 .
If you have Ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis or a related arthritis please clinic on the link below for the the education document
Rheumatology AxSPA VBC patient education version 2 11th Nov 2024
In brief:
- If you are unwell or develop symptoms of any infection, we would advise that you should stop your biologic therapy until you feel well again.
- You need to attend clinic appointment either face2face or virtually to make sure that your disease is controlled by the drug and that you are not experiencing unwarranted side effects.
- Please have blood tests every 3 months (or monthly for tocilizumab and sarilumab)
- If you are unwell/ planning surgery/ pregnancy or exotic holidays please make sure you tell the medical team you see that you are on a biologic drug for your rheumatic condition.
If you are traveling abroad and need to take medication with you please contact the helpline.
If the drug you are to receive is a drip, we will organise this with our medical daycase unit on ward A2 at Russells Hall hospital. The phone number for the medical daycase is ext. 3365
If the drug you are to receive is an injection you do yourself at home the VBC will organise the prescription and register you with a homecare service.
Consent for homecare services
As you will be using a homecare service we need to make sure that you are:
- In agreement with this
- W have you permission to tell the external company your contact details, address etc .
We the will thus need your consent for your consent for this.
Who to contact
- Helpline: 01384 244789 option 1
- Rheumatology Biologic co-ordinator: 01384 456111 ext 4297
- Biologic Pharmacy team: 01384 456111 ext 4508
