Background:
Many rheumatologists assume that their patients cannot afford to pay for expensive medications such as biologic DMARDs. While this is true for the majority of people we see, the option could be discussed with those who might not otherwise access these medications.
Methods:
I will present patient cases from different socioeconomic backgrounds, social and clinical contexts to illustrate that patients, as consumers, will pay for treatment when they derive high value.
Results:
When people cannot access specialised DMARDs on the PBS, and have disease which affects quality of life significantly, they are open to considering the value proposition for purchasing expensive medication.
Conclusions:
Rheumatologists should consider offering the option of purchasing specialised DMARDs on a private script.