The Treatment Gap in Acne Care: Guidelines versus Treatment Practices

Publication of THE LATEST IN ACNE CARE supplement was made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from Galderma Canada Inc.

Abstract
Do dermatologists and GPs approach acne care differently? How do these two groups of clinicians approach acne treatment, keep abreast of the latest guidelines, and manage maintenance therapy? How will the availability of a new retinoid combination product in Canada for acne change the way acne is currently treated?
To address these questions, a roundtable discussion was convened, featuring clinicians with a significant number of acne patients in their practices. Dr. Shannon Humphrey, a dermatologist, and Dr. Joseph Brioux, a family physician, and moderator Dr. D'Arcy Little, himself a family physician and radiologist, offered a candid take on guideline-based acne treatment and the effort to improve treatment outcomes among patients.
The discussants addressed how each professional has tended to view acne, pursues acne care differently, and why. They also discussed the latest acne treatment guidelines as well as the depth of the gap between the generalist's versus the specialist's treatment approach.
Keywords: acne, treatment gap, antibiotic resistance, treatment adherence.