{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T22:14:05Z","timestamp":1777932845724,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,28]],"date-time":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1690502400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JPM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are very effective in treating rheumatic diseases with a good patient tolerance. However, high cost and individualistic approach requires dedication of the physician. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the prescription of biologic DMARDs in rheumatology at the University Hospital of Split. The data collection was conducted through an archive search in the Outpatient Clinic for Rheumatology in the University Hospital of Split, Split, Croatia. The search included the period before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia (31 March 2020). Collected data included age, sex, ICD-10 code of diagnosis, generic and brand name of the prescribed drug, date of therapy initiation, and medication administration route. In the pre-COVID-19 period, 209 patients were processed, while in the COVID-19 period, 185 patients were processed (11.5% fewer). During pre-COVID-19, 231 biologic medications were prescribed, while during COVID-19, 204. During COVID-19, IL-6 inhibitors were less prescribed (48 (21%) vs. 21 (10%) prescriptions, p = 0.003), while IL-17A inhibitors were more prescribed (39 (17%) vs. 61 (30%) prescriptions, p = 0.001). In ankylosing spondylitis (AS), adalimumab was prescribed more during pre-COVID-19 (25 vs. 15 patients, p = 0.010), while ixekizumab was prescribed less (1 vs. 10 patients, p = 0.009). In rheumatoid arthritis, tocilizumab was prescribed more in the pre-COVID-19 period (34 vs. 10 patients, p = 0.012). Overall, the prescription trends of biologic DMARDs for rheumatologic diseases did not vary significantly in the University Hospital of Split, Croatia. Tocilizumab was prescribed less during COVID-19 due to shortages, while ixekizumab was more prescribed during COVID-19 due to an increase in psoriatic arthritis patients processed and due to being approved for treating AS.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm13081199","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,28]],"date-time":"2023-07-28T01:51:47Z","timestamp":1690509107000},"page":"1199","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Prescription Trends of Biologic DMARDs in Treating Rheumatologic Diseases: Changes of Medication Availability in COVID-19"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0350-6800","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mislav","family":"Radi\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology, Allergology, and Clinical Immunology Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2188-0006","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hana","family":"\u0110oga\u0161","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine Department, Nephrology and Haemodialysis Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Karla","family":"Vrki\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology, Allergology, and Clinical Immunology Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9195-646X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Gelemanovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences (MedILS), 21000 Split, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ivanka","family":"Marinovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with Rheumatology Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia"},{"name":"University Department of Health Studies, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dijana","family":"Perkovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology, Allergology, and Clinical Immunology Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jurica","family":"Nazli\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine Department, Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care, and Clinical Pharmacology with Toxicology Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2645-7597","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Josipa","family":"Radi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia"},{"name":"Internal Medicine Department, Nephrology and Haemodialysis Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daniela Marasovi\u0107","family":"Krstulovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology, Allergology, and Clinical Immunology Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Julije","family":"Me\u0161trovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Paediatric Diseases Department, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia"},{"name":"Department of Paediatrics, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1038\/s41579-020-00459-7","article-title":"Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19","volume":"19","author":"Hu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat. 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