Press Release
Video
Clinical Pearls for Treating Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis With S1P Receptor Modulators
Author(s):
Krzysztof Selmaj, MD, PhD, wraps up this series highlighting strategies for educating patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) about sphinogine-1-phospate (S1P) receptor modulators.
Transcript
Krzysztof Selmaj, MD, PhD:This is a kind of fundamental question for any physician, because adherence to therapy is very important and to stay on therapy as long as it is beneficial is critically important. And of course, we should have a good relation with patients. We should try to convince patients that we treat them, and we are giving them drugs for their benefit. We should also try to explain to them the mechanism of action of the drugs on several occasions. The drug requires some time to show efficacy. So it’s important that the patients do not stop their treatment too quickly. And they do not switch from one drug to another, you know, a like cause way, because then of course, we will not expect a good clinical effect and also we can somehow enhance safety issues. So the important thing is [be] open, talk to patients, good contact with them, you know, providing them with information, responding to all questions they have. This is very important. Also important is talking to family members because the patient’s not living in isolation. There’s also some family environment, usually there’s family environment. So it’s also important to talk to family. So in this way, in this complex way, we should explain to them that here is a therapy and continuation of treatment is very important. Of course, we can also reassure them that in any case if they see any problems they can come to us and they can ask questions. And of course, we can reassure them that if they see some worsening of some, either worsening in terms of the safety or worsening with the clinical outcomes and clinical benefit after appropriate time, then we also are ready to act and help them and talk to them and potentially some action on their further treatment.
Transcript edited for clarity.
