New AHRQ Resources

Guides Help Point to Arthritis Drugs

By News Staff
2/2/2007

Selecting which medication may be best for your patients with osteoarthritis may not be as difficult as in the past thanks to a new guide for clinicians developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Effective Health Care Program.

"Choosing Non-Opioid Analgesics for Osteoarthritis" employs confidence ratings based on a systematic review of the literature to grade the effectiveness and side effects of many osteoarthritic drugs, such as acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, and others.

The clinician guide may be downloaded at no cost (PDF file: 4 pages / 412 KB. More about PDFs.) and includes guides suggesting drug efficacy based on age, demographics, and predisposition toward cardiovascular, liver or renal disease or gastrointestinal bleeding.

AHRQ offers a similar resource for patients with osteoarthritis. "Choosing Pain Medication for Osteoarthritis" uses nonclinical language to discuss available evidence on both prescription and over-the-counter drugs and the latest scientific evidence on osteoarthritic pain relief.

The patient guide is available online (PDF file: 12 pages / 592 KB. More about PDFs.) and addresses

the benefits of specific over-the-counter pain relievers, including acetaminophen, glucosamine and skin creams;
the benefits of specific prescription pain relievers, including NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors and salicylates;
the risks of pain relievers, including symptoms of stomach bleeding, heart attack, and liver and kidney damage;
weighing risks versus benefits; and
cost comparison charts, including generic versus brand name drug pricing.

Making Care More Effective

AHRQ's Effective Health Care program exists to allow providers, patients and policymakers to share in making informed decisions that promote good health care by synthesizing, generating and translating research into practical knowledge.

Stay in the loop and share your opinions about the latest AHRQ research by viewing works in progress, signing up for the e-mail list, suggesting research topics and offering feedback on draft reports.

The guide does not discuss nonmedical options to reduce osteoarthritic pain, such as weight loss, acupuncture, surgery and exercise. Neither the clinician nor the patient guide discusses opiate options.

Although the osteoarthritis guides may be downloaded for free online, print copies also are available by calling (800) 358-9295 and referring to AHRQ publication 06(07)-EHC009-3 for the clinician's guide or 06(07)-EHC009-2A for the patient's guide.

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