Arthritis Medications and You
When more than 200 people poured into a Kelowna hotel room on a dark and cold December evening to hear Dr. Robert Offer speak about different medications that are available to treat arthritis, we knew we were on to something.
The Arthritis Society had organized the educational forum so that people with arthritis could hear first hand
- what medications are available,
- what’s being developed,
- the side effects and benefits of different medications, and
- what other forms of treatment might be useful.
Dr. Offer is a Penticton-based rheumatologist with more than 30 years experience whose interest in arthritis medications has led him to take on the Chair of the Advisory Committee to BC Pharmacare.
“When I went to medical school, the approach was to use very benign treatment. Bed rest and aspirin was the best treatment we had available to us in the late ’60s for RA. My medical school teaching was absolutely wrong. That approach has changed 180 degrees.”
Advances in research on medications and treatment have significantly improved the lives of people with arthritis. Dr. Offer stressed the importance of early diagnosis and early treatment, especially when dealing with rheumatoid arthritis, which can wreak irreparable damage to joints and tissues in the first two years. “You really have no time to lose.”
More forums are set for:
- Victoria: Thursday, March 25, at the Ocean Pointe Resort — 3 to 5 pm or 7 to 9 pm
- Vancouver: Monday, April 26, at the Vancouver Public Library — 7 to 9 pm
Register online at www.arthritis.ca/bc or call for further details at 604.714.5550 or toll free at 1.866.414.7766.
