The American College of Rheumatology Pain Management Task Force identified pain as the most important patient-reported outcome in rheumatology because of substantial effects on health-related quality of life.

Understanding the pain medication usage patterns in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and assessing changes in pain medication use before and after initiation of biologics can help decision-makers in making informed decisions.

Findings from this study suggest that use of NSAIDs, glucocorticoids, and opioids are common among patients with AS, PsA, or RA.

Although pain medication use is common in patients with AS, PsA, and RA, the reported use of these co-medications significantly decreases in the first year of treatment after initiating biologics compared with before.