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Pediatricians should prescribe more topical retinoids for the management of acne vulgaris

National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data from 1996 to 2005 were used by investigators at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in North Carolina, U.S.A. to compare the treatment patterns of pediatricians and dermatologists for acne vulgaris treatment. During the 10-year study period, the number of visits due to acne and the frequency of prescribed topical retinoids were significantly higher for dermatologists as opposed to pediatricians (an estimated 18.1 million vs. 4.6 million for acne visits, and 46.1% vs. 12.1% for prescription of retinoids, respectively). In view of these results, the authors suggest that pediatricians should prescribe more topical retinoids to improve the treatment of acne vulgaris and thus avoid the ...