Patients with acne may be receiving inappropriate prescriptions

Investigators have found that a large proportion of patients with acne may receive drug prescriptions that don’t align with current guidelines, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology.

In the observational, cross-sectional study, the investigators used a Colombian health system database to identify patterns in the pharmacologic management of 21,604 patients with acne.

They found that antibiotics were the most prescribed treatments followed by retinoids. However, just over 17% of the patients received potentially inappropriate prescriptions,  including drugs that have been linked to acne such as progestogens with androgenic properties. Female patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis were the most likely to receive these prescriptions.

The investigators called on physicians to be more cautious in adhering to clinical practice guidelines when prescribing drugs to patients with acne.

Read more: Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology

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