2020 Volume 32 Issue 4 Pages 282-291
Objective: Biologics have led to successful therapy for rheumatoid arthritis（RA）; however, adverse events have also increased. Thus, nurses require risk-management skills based on clinical pharmacology. We investigated the effect of clinical pharmacology and risk-management teaching intervention for nurses. We compared the effect in two groups of nurses: those with experience in RA therapy（Group E）and those with no experience（Group NE）. Methods: Fifty-two nurses（39 in group E, 13 in NE）participated. A 2-hour lecture program consisted of education in（1）pathophysiology,（2）therapeutic drugs,（3）risk-management and（4）the use of package inserts. The comprehension of nurses was assessed through a questionnaire on the topics covered（23 questions in total, 3 for（1）, 8 for（2）, 8 for（3）, 4 for（4）. Results: There were no differences between the two groups on the base line assessments. After the lecture, Group E performed better（16 correct answers out of 23 questions; correct answers for all items increased: 1/3, 5/8, 6/8, 4/4 for each item, respectively）compared to before the lecture program. Group NE improved on only 2 items（correct answers increased by 2 points）. Conclusion: We need to educate nurses about clinical pharmacology and these risk-management skills to provide comprehensive care for RA.
