Topical Therapies for Psoriasis: Improving Management Strategies and Patient Adherence.

Topical Therapies for Psoriasis: Improving Management Strategies and Patient Adherence. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2016 Mar;35(2S):S36-S44 Authors: Stein Gold LF Abstract Psoriasis is a chronic disease that has a substantial effect on quality of life of patients and often needs long-term treatment. Topical treatments for psoriasis include corticosteroids, vitamin D derivatives, tazarotene, anthralin, tacrolimus, pimecrolimus, and newer formulations of tar. Although many of these treatments are effective, they must be prescribed appropriately and used consistently for a period of weeks to months before clinical evidence of improvement can be seen and patients perceive that the treatment is working. As such, medication dosage/schedule, choice of vehicle, and especially patient adherence to medication are key factors for a treatment to be effective. Addressing patient preferences about treatments and concerns about treatment-related toxicities and managing their expectations represent additional aspects of patient care. Therapies such as calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate (Cal/BD) fixed combination foam and new drugs and vehicles continuously enhance the treatment landscape for psoriasis. Because adherence to topical treatment can be a major difficulty, keeping the treatment regimen simple and using new and sophisticated treatment vehicles that are acceptable to patients can likely improve treatment outcomes. Semin Cutan Med Surg 3...
Source: Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery - Category: Dermatology Tags: Semin Cutan Med Surg Source Type: research