PHARMACIA ANNOUNCES THE ADDITION OF THE "PATIENT PARTNERS" TO ARTHRITIS.COM, "Patient Support Program Furthers Website's Mission of Patient Empowerment"

(Peapack) – March 20, 2003 – Pharmacia Corporation (NYSE: PHA) today announced the addition of the Patient Partners Program to www.Arthritis.com, its interactive on-line resource center. The Patient Partners Program features people with arthritis who share what they've learned about their disease with healthcare professionals and other individuals through educational and support programs. The more than 70 million Americans who suffer from arthritis and/or chronic joint symptoms1can now seek firsthand information online from the Patient Partners and learn about strategies each of them use for dealing with the many daily challenges of the disease.

The addition of Patient Partners to Arthritis.com comes as a response to a recent study conducted by Manhattan Research1 that found nearly 10 million online consumers turn to the World Wide Web, an increasingly important source for health information, to learn more about illness and how to manage their conditions.

"You're the leader of your healthcare team; your doctor is a member," says Linda Rivera, a Patient Partners volunteer in Mesa, Arizona. "The more educated you are about your condition, the more involved you can be in your treatment plan," continues Rivera.

Launched by Pharmacia Corporation in 2002, Arthritis.com is an interactive, online resource that provides information on the various forms of arthritis, including the two most common types, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The Web site offers tips on managing joint pain and living with arthritis and describes some common forms of treatment. Specific features of the Web site are the product of research designed to assess the information and support needs of arthritis patients.

"Arthritis.com is remarkably instructive and objective in its presentation of information," says Daniel J. Wallace, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine. "While arthritis pain can be debilitating, patients who thrive despite the pain are those who make a conscious decision to control their lives and manage their pain proactively. The fact that the number of arthritis patients is growing exponentially with the aging of baby boomers only underscores the need for easily accessible, thorough information and peer support like that provided by Arthritis.com and Patient Partners," continues Dr. Wallace.

Patient Partners provides educational programs such as "Physical Diagnosis of Arthritis Joint Examination," and "Living Well: A Patient's Perspective on Arthritis" at more than 15 medical schools around the country. In addition, Patient Partners work with the Arthritis Foundation to present a program entitled "Taking Control of Arthritis Pain," for arthritis patients and their families.

Hundreds of trained arthritis patients provide hands-on arthritis education to physicians, medical students, and thousands of other arthritis patients through the Patient Partners Program worldwide.

"With the diagnosis from any illness, your world can go from wonderful to shredded in one second, but when you learn that you can gain control over a few little things, you can extend that into the larger picture," says MaryAnn Smajo, a rheumatoid arthritis patient in Chicago who is also a Patient Partners volunteer.

Arthritis.com is designed as an easy-to-navigate Web site with animated graphics and extensive glossary. Arthritis.com provides detailed information about osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, fibromyalgia, gout, lupus and many other of the most common diseases characterized by arthritic pain. Arthritis.com also offers a variety of tools and resources designed to explain how arthritis develops, options for managing the disease, and specific tips on pursuing activities that characterize dynamic lifestyles, such as gardening and Pilates. In addition, the website offers useful links to other online resources and contact information for agencies and organizations that provide additional literature, information and assistance.

Pharmacia Corporation (NYSE:PHA) is a top-tier global pharmaceutical company whose innovative medicines and other products save lives and enhance health and wellness. Pharmacia's 43,000 people work together with many diverse stakeholders to bring these benefits to people around the world, and to create new health solutions for the future. On July 15, 2002, Pharmacia and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced the signing of a definitive agreement providing for Pfizer to acquire Pharmacia in a stock-for-stock transaction that is expected to close in the first quarter of 2003.





This article courtesy of http://www.yourarthritisguide.info.
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