Pharmacist-physiotherapist Collaborative Management for Early Knee Osteoarthritis

Summary

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a slowly progressive chronic condition that is associated with aging and is characterized as joint pain. Individuals with early-stage OA usually do not seek medical attention. If and when they do, patients more often present to a pharmacy for over-the-counter medications. The investigators want to leverage community pharmacists' accessibility and scope of practice to best support patients with early knee OA. Given there are no disease-modifying treatments for OA, treatment guidelines center on patient education, self-management, and exercise, with medications playing a supporting role. Self-management is an effective strategy that provides a solid foundation for managing this progressive chronic condition and health care professionals like physiotherapists and pharmacists can help with the development and application of these skills.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

* regularly experiencing pain, aching, or stiffness in and/or around the knee for at least 1 month
* complete the screening PhIT-OA questionnaire

Exclusion Criteria:

* Prior total knee replacement or on the waitlist to have your knee replaced
* Knee surgery within the previous 4 months
* History of acute injury to knee within previous 6 months
* Unable to speak and read English
* Unwilling or unable to visit a physiotherapist at a community physiotherapy clinic (specifically the dates and times of the partnering physiotherapy clinic)
* Previous physician-diagnosed inflammatory arthritis (including this list): Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Lupus, Gout
* Physician diagnosed fibromyalgia
* A sudden, severely painful, hot, swollen joint at any time in the past
* History of the following medications: csDMARD or bDMARD or tsDMARD, Immunosuppressive, Allopurinol or febuxostat, Colchicine
* Received a knee joint injection in the past 3 months or have one scheduled in the next 3 months
* Has completed the GLA:D Hip and Knee program at all in the past

Conditions4

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