22 hours ago · Multiple sclerosis: New perspectives on the patient journey. This report examines the multiple sclerosis population in Medicare Part D. Study results include characteristics of enrollees using disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and show how cost sharing and therapies … >> Go To The Portal
Despite nearly 1 million Americans suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS), MS Prevalence, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2020. many are still unfamiliar with the disease. That’s likely due in part to what Brigette Bartlett, technical account manager at CoverMyMeds, said when speaking of her own diagnosis: MS is often an invisible disease.
Areas of the brain in which myelin is lost — called lesions — become hardened into scars (“sclera”), which are observed during MRI scans and negatively impact the speed at which nerve cells communicate. As a result of demyelination, patients can experience impaired vision, sensory and motor functions.
Those with early-stage relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) have quite a few FDA-approved therapy options, while those with later-stage secondary progressive MS (SPMS) have close to no specific therapy options, but several are in development.
All current therapies for MS are considered specialty medications, which means patients diagnosed with the disease face significant challenges in accessing, affording and adhering to their prescribed therapies. Make MS Medications Accessible: Recommendations, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2019. Supporting patients throughout the complicated ...
The very nature of the disease makes it unpredictable and unique to each person. You might meet an MS patient who never needed to use a cane but talk with another who has to use a wheelchair. People can get involved by donating to or volunteering with the National MS Society (NMSS).