Page 11 - Mobility Management, March/April 2021

Education Update: NRRTS Introduces Supplier Certificate Program
Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) suppliers now have an education program of their very own, designed especially for them.
The new CRT Supplier Certificate Program from NRRTS features 14 interactive, self-paced online modules with comprehensive content developed by experts in the CRT field. IACET continuing education units are awarded for each module, and the assessment and certificate are managed by NRRTS.
The first course in the series is “The Role of the Complex Rehabilitation Technology Supplier.”
In the program’s NRRTS announcement, the organiza- tion listed the primary benefits as improved RTS perfor- mance; improved client outcomes; and accelerated RTS [Rehabilitation Technology Supplier] development.
In explaining the need for the Certificate program,
the NRRTS Web site explains, “The CRT Industry has long recognized the need for a pathway to bring new people into the field. There has never been a clearly defined role of the supplier. This certificate program will allow a person to be employed and then gain the needed experience to progress into more advanced skills, such as molded seating, alternative drive controls, pediatric mobility, and other complex processes required to successfully provide CRT.
“Today, there is a shortage of qualified people. As more RTSs retire, the pool of replacements is virtually nonexis- tent. Also, due to the aging population in the U.S. and in the world, the need for CRT has never been greater.”
NRRTS is seeking financial pledges to develop the rest of the Certificate program, which has a projected total cost of $240,000. For information on the program or its support, visit nrrts.org. m
FDA Approves Treatment for Relapsing Forms of MS
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug treatment for several forms of multiple scle- rosis (MS) in adults.
The drug, called Ponvory, is a 20-mg tablet taken orally once a day, according to a March news announcement from Multiple Sclerosis News Today. The drug is produced by Janssen.
The FDA approval covers the use of Ponvory for patients with Clinically Isolated Syndrome,
Relapsing-Remitting MS, and Active Secondary Progressive MS.
A Janssen news announcement said the new medi- cation “offers MS patients superior efficacy in reducing annualized relapse rates compared to an established oral therapy and a proven safety profile backed by over a decade of cumulative clinical research.”
Janssen added that in a two-year, head-to-head Phase 3 clinical trial, Ponvory “demonstrated superior efficacy in significantly reducing annual relapses by 30.5 percent compared to teriflunomide (Aubagio) 14-mg in patients with relapsing MS. Over the study period, 71 percent of patients treated with Ponvory had no confirmed relapses, compared to 61 percent in the teriflunomide group.”
Because Ponvory leaves a patient’s blood within one week of treatment stoppage, with immune system effects wearing off in one to two weeks, it could be possible for patients taking the drug to pause treatment if required to receive a vaccine or seek treatment for an infection.
Bruce Bebo, Executive VP of Research, National MS Society, said of the news, “MS is a complex disease, and any individual’s response to MS disease-modifying therapy can vary. It’s so important that people living with MS have access to effective treatment options. We are pleased that there is a new therapy approved for relapsing MS.” m
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