Acitretin for the treatment of psoriasis: an assessment of national trends.
Background: Combination therapy is a common and appropriate treatment strategy for moderate-to-severe psoriasis, as it provides for enhanced efficacy and decreased toxicity compared to the use of a single agent. Acitretin is an effective oral retinoid for psoriasis that seems to find its greatest value when complemented by other topical and systemic treatments. Objective: The primary aim of this study is to assess the use of acitretin in combination with other treatments for psoriasis. Methods: We assessed the use of acitretin for the treatment of psoriasis using nationally representative survey data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS). Results: Among visits where acitretin was listed in the NAMCS, other psoriasis medications were co-prescribed in 62 percent of visits. The co-prescribed medications included topical corticosteroids (51%), calcipotriene (31%), biologics (6%), cyclosporine (5%), methotrexate (5%) and tazarotene (2%). Conclusion: The use of acitretin in combination with other psoriasis treatments, particularly topical corticosteroids and calcipotriene, is a common practice. Acitretin is co-prescribed with the biologics, likely because of the relative lack of overlapping effects on immune function. The immune-sparing method of action of acitretin makes combination treatment with the systemic agents an attractive treatment option, especially in patients where further immunosuppression is unwarranted. J Drugs Dermatol. 2011;10(8):876-880.[1]References
- Acitretin for the treatment of psoriasis: an assessment of national trends. Ghasri, P., Yentzer, B.A., Dabade, T.S., Feldman, S.R. J. Drugs. Dermatol (2011) [Pubmed]
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