Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate physician concordance with AAD guidelines for the treatment of acne vulgaris.

Rationale: The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has published guidelines for the use of systemic antibiotics for the management of acne. These include: 1) minimizing the duration of therapy (ideally to 3-4 months and no longer than 6 months) to decrease risk of resistance and 2) prescribing concomitant treatment with a topical retinoid or topical retinoid/benzoyl peroxide to increase efficacy. A large retrospective cohort study of teenagers in the United Kingdom revealed that of antibiotic courses prescribed by general practitioners, 29% exceeded 6 months in duration, and 62% were not associated with a topical retinoid. Our study aims to determine adherence with AAD guidelines for oral antibiotic use in the management of patients with acne among general practitioners and dermatologists in the United States and other countries. The evidence through the OHDSI network may help identify a need to improve concordance to achieve the best treatment efficacy for patients.

Project Lead(s): Stephanie Chapman, Renee Domozych, Jessica Mounessa, Robert P. Dellavalle, Lisa Schilling

Full protocol: Acne vulgaris treatment study protocol

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http://forums.ohdsi.org/t/ohdsi-study-concordance-with-antibiotic-treatment-guidelines-for-acne/1703