This month's news from across the specialty
What's hot
November 1, 2020
In this monthly column, members of the DermWorld Editorial Advisory Workgroup identify exciting news from across the specialty.
A novel topical antiandrogen, clascoterone cream, has been shown to be effective for the treatment of acne, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology (2020;156(6):621-630). Androgen receptors in the skin are found in sebaceous glands, sebocytes, and dermal papilla cells. Circulating and skin-synthesized androgens such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) bind to the androgen receptor and stimulate sebum production, which ultimately causes acne. In vitro studies suggest that clascoterone competes with DHT at the androgen receptor in the skin, leading to inhibition of sebum production and inflammation. The results of these phase 3 clinical trials demonstrated favorable efficacy over a 12-week application period with good tolerability and low rate of adverse side effects. This novel medication has gained a lot of excitement among dermatologists given that there hasn't been an approved topical antiandrogen treatment for acne.
Academy acne resources
Explain to your patients how acne forms, the importance of proper skin care, and the treatments available with the Academy’s acne pamphlet.
As dermatologists, we are acutely aware of the onerous routine of obtaining prior authorization. Relief from administrative burden is continually on the Academy’s list of top advocacy priorities, and the most utilized section of the Academy’s online Practice Management Center is the prior authorization tool. The number of medications being added continues to expand and procedures are also increasingly requiring approval.
A recent study from the University of Utah Department of Dermatology evaluated the cost of prior authorization to a dermatology practice over a one-month period (doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.1852). In September of 2016, 626 prior authorizations were generated requiring 169.7 hours of staff time. This resulted in a median cost of $6.72 per prior authorization. As you would expect, biologic authorizations were the most expensive at $15.80 per authorization. Insurance companies state that the purpose of these authorizations is to address inappropriate utilization. However, rather than eliminating inappropriate care, they seem to be slowing patient access to appropriate care. Overall, 99.6% of procedural authorizations and 78.9% of biologic authorizations were approved. This study helps confirm that elimination of unnecessary prior authorizations would offer dermatologists and their staff significantly more time to focus on patients rather than administrative duties.
