Welcome to the Canadian Psoriasis Network

We are a national, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by providing current information on research and treatment options.

COVID-19 and Psoriasis

COVID 19 As the COVID-19 situation in Canada continues to evolve, we remind our community to be attentive to reputable sources of health information such as the Public Health Agency of Canada as well as your provincial/territorial government for current recommendations and precautions.

We also encourage psoriasis / psoriatic arthritis patients to call their dermatologist/rheumatologist or other physicians with any concerns, or for information about their specific circumstances. Your health care team is the most appropriate resource for any specific questions or concerns you may have.

To date, general information is that unless symptomatic, medications should be continued. We encourage psoriatic patients who develop symptoms or who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 to discuss their concerns and treatment plans with their prescribing physician.

We further remind members of our community with exacerbated anxiety and depression symptoms of how to manage their mental wellness at this time of uncertainty. Check out the Canadian Mental Health Association for their suggestions if you are feeling elevated distress.

For general information for skin patients, the Canadian Skin Patient Alliance, of which CPN is an affiliate, has created an FAQ page: http://canadianskin.ca/education/covid-19.

As many people are seeing their jobs affected these days, there may be concerns about disrupted access to insurance for treatments. Check out this Understanding Access Fact Sheet as a reminder of ways people may access treatments for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in Canada.

CPN is pleased to be partnering with other patient and healthcare provider organizations around the world on PsoProtect, an international registry for health care providers to report outcomes of COVID-19 in individuals with psoriasis and PsoProtectMe, a self-report survey of psoriasis patients globally to understand how the pandemic is affecting people with psoriasis. For more information, visit our PsoProtect page.

Women's Health

Based on a survey of over 100 women-identified people in Canada with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, CPN has created a new resource called Women’s Health and Psoriasis. We hope that this section will answer some of your questions and provide helpful tools. Click to view “Women’s Health and Psoriasis“.

Clinical Trials

What is a clinical trial and how can I get involved?

Where can I find one?

By participating in a clinical trial you may be able to help yourself as well as people you don’t know who are experiencing health issues.

Click to learn more

Understanding of the patient journey towards achieving skin clearance and stability. Check out the new patient toolkit from the Psoriasis Journey to Stability report.

A Word from our President

“I am proud and honoured to assume the role of President of the Canadian Psoriasis Network. I am a passionate advocate for the inclusion of people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in our community. Over one million Canadians suffer from the disease and it is my goal to work with our Board to continue to build a strong Network to raise awareness and increase the understanding of our disease. The ultimate goal is to reduce the suffering and help people live their lives to the fullest. Today, we have treatment options unavailable to us previously. There are new treatment options becoming available frequently as research progresses however, it is important for us to continue to collaborate with stakeholders in the ongoing quest for a cure. I hope you will join me in this mission. It will happen with the strategic focus of dedicated Canadians who are impacted by the disease. If you have any suggestions or questions, please contact me at president@cpn-rcp.com.”

Simmie Smith, B.A, M.B.A.

President, Canadian Psoriasis Network

Where do I start?

If you are newly diagnosed it can be overwhelming to plan the next steps. We have been down this road. Let us help you. We suggest you start with the psoriasis section, and then check resources. If this looks helpful, please consider joining CPN to stay up to date on upcoming events.

Join Us!

Stay informed about CPN by becoming a member. When you become a member (which is free by the way) you are automatically subscribed to our Newsletter list (through MailChimp). We also ask you to select your province so we can send you notices of upcoming events in your area. Join Today