October 31
IN THIS ISSUE / October 31, 2018
- Oral antibiotic gets FDA approval for acne
- Teamwork Hero: Steven Daveluy, MD
- Are you smarter than DataDerm?
- ABMS approves Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery subspecialty
- Trump administration announces plans to lower drug costs
- Study: Topical tranexamic acid may be effective for erythematotelangiectatic rosacea
- Older adults opt for fewer medications
Oral antibiotic gets FDA approval for acne
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved sarecycline (Seysara) — a tetracycline-derived oral antibiotic — as a treatment for inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris in patients nine years and older. Sarecycline is expected to launch in January 2019.
Learn more about the role high-dose isotretinoin should have in acne treatment in Dermatology World.
Related Links:
- Acne update – Dermatology World (October 2016)
- Overusing acne antibiotics? – Dermatology World (August 2015)
- Comparing therapies for pre-adolescent acne – Dermatology World (March 2014)
- For your patients: All about acne
Teamwork Hero: Steven Daveluy, MD
A hematology/oncology team asked Dr. Daveluy to consult on a patient who was newly diagnosed with leukemia and also presented with a rash. He recognized she had drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome, not cancer. Learn how Dr. Daveluy’s collaboration helped the patient avoid unnecessary chemotherapy.
Each month, the Academy will highlight members’ efforts to treat serious skin disease, work with other physicians as part of a health care team, and expand access to dermatology. Submit your story at SkinSerious.org.
- Access granted: Improving access for referrals – Dermatology World (October 2017)
- AAD product: Simulated Patient Encounter – Medication Management
ABMS approves Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery subspecialty
The American Board of Medical Specialties has approved a new subspecialty of dermatology, Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery. Certification in the new subspecialty will require the successful completion of an ACGME-accredited fellowship and passage of a certification exam, but during the first five years those who attest to practicing micrographic surgery will be allowed to take the exam and become certified. Learn more at the American Board of Dermatology website.
Are you smarter than DataDerm™?
Over the past several weeks, dermatologists have been testing their knowledge against the Academy’s DataDerm™ registry in DWW’s ‘Are you smarter than DataDerm?’ quiz series. Did you take the quizzes? Great! Thank you for participating. Missed it? Check out an archive of the quizzes below, and see how your colleagues fared:
Question 1: What percentage of visits with a skin cancer diagnosis involve BCCs?
- Correct answer: 55%
- Results: 50% (58/116) answered correctly
Question 2: Which type of skin cancer diagnosis is most common among patients under the age of 24?
- Correct answer: Melanoma
- Results: 69% (117/166) answered correctly
Question 3: Are male or female patients more likely to receive a skin cancer diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma?
- Correct answer: Male
- Results: 88% (78/89) answered correctly
Question 4: Which skin cancer type is most prevalent among Hispanic patients?
- Correct answer: BCC
- Results: 65% (48/74) answered correctly
Want to keep playing? Stay tuned to DWW for more DataDerm quizzes!
- When dealing with payers, the data can speak for itself – Dermatology World Weekly
- MIPS reporting in 2018 – Dermatology World (February 2018)
- Dr. Henry Lim: The value of data – Dermatology World (January 2018)
- AAD product: 2018 MIPS Reporting Module
- AAD web: MACRA Resource Center
Trump administration announces plans to lower drug costs
President Trump has unveiled details on his plans to lower the cost of prescription drugs in the United States. In a statement given at the Department of Health and Human Services, President Trump announced that CMS will be allowed to negotiate drug prices based on the prices for drugs in other countries. President Trump’s announcement comes on the heels of an Advanced Notice of a Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) issued by CMS that would test an “International Pricing Index” (IPI) payment model for certain separately payable Medicare Part B drugs and biologics.
Under the IPI model, Medicare payments for certain physician-administered drugs (e.g., infliximab infusions) to manufacturers would more closely align with other countries. Additionally, physicians would be paid a flat rate for administration of a drug under the Medicare Part B program. Under the current policy, physicians are paid based upon the Average Sales Price (ASP) plus 6%. The intent is to reduce payments for prescription drugs in Medicare Part B and reduce out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries. CMS is seeking comments on this ANPR until the end of the calendar year.
Cost has proven to be one factor contributing to patient drug access in the United States. Drug shortages are another. How are drug shortages affecting you and your patients? Tell the FDA by taking this survey from the AADA and find out where things stand with drug shortages in Dermatology World.
- A tangled web: What's happening with drug prices and what's being done to bring costs down? – Dermatology World (September 2017)
- Moving target: The challenges of treating AKs – Dermatology World (October 2018)
Study: Topical tranexamic acid may be effective for erythematotelangiectatic rosacea
A recent study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology indicates that topical tranexamic acid may be effective in treating patients with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea. Researchers conducted an unblind study on 20 patients who were treated with either tranexamic acid solution-infused wet dressing, or microneedling along with topical tranexamic acid solution followed by tranexamic acid solution-infused dressing therapy. Using the Investigator Global Assessment of Rosacea Severity Score, clinical photos, and dermoscopy, all patients showed statistically significant improvement for four months following treatment.
What’s new with rosacea? Keep an eye out for an update on rosacea classification in December’s issue of DW.
Related Links:
- The many uses of microneedling – Dermatology World (September 2018)
- Connections found between rosacea and dementia, glioma, and Parkinson’s – Dermatology World (August 2016)
- Unlocking the mysteries of rosacea – Dermatology World (August 2013)
- Academy Learning Module: Acne and rosacea
- Academy product: Rosacea pamphlets
Older adults opt for fewer medications
According to recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, older adults would choose to take fewer medications if they could. Researchers conducted a population-based study of 1,981 Medicare beneficiaries and found that 92% of patients expressed that they would be willing to stop taking one or more of their medicines if their physician said they could. Overall, about 67% of patients expressed an interest in reducing the number of medications that they were taking.
Check out several strategies when caring for older patients in Dermatology World.
