Objective: The objective of this study is to 1) characterize the use of tetracycline-class antibiotics for the treatment of acne in children and adolescents and 2) expand upon a recent study to more fully describe acne oral tetracycline-class antibiotic use around the world

Rationale: Acne is a common and disabling medical problem, especially among adolescents. 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. In addition to promoting resistance, long-term oral antibiotic use has been associated with a number of adverse events including microbiome disruption and pharyngitis, and potentially inflammatory bowel disease and obesity. Yet oral antibiotics are often over-prescribed. A large retrospective cohort study of teenagers in the UK 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 describe the type and duration of oral tetracycline-class antibiotic therapy for the treatment of acne around the world. 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, Jonathan Silverberg, David Barbieri, David Margolis, Robert P. Dellavalle, Lisa Schilling

Full protocol: Acne vulgaris treatment study protocol

Please provide any comments or suggestions.

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