GPs at the frontline of acne treatment show reluctance to prescribe isotretinoin  

GPs in primary care are reluctant to prescribe isotretinoin to people with acne. This is according to a new case study out of Iran. 

A study in BMC Primary Care Journal involved more than 300 general practitioners (GPs). Only 27.6% of them reported prescribing isotretinoin for acne treatment.  

Reasons For Reluctance 

Doctors were hesitant to prescribe isotretinoin due to its side effects, like liver problems and birth defects. These concerns made them reluctant to give the prescription-only medication to patients.  

31.4% of respondents stated their most common reason for not prescribing isotretinoin was that they were unfamiliar with the drug. The research found that older GPs and those with dermatological specialisation were more likely to prescribe Isotretinoin. 

Isotretinoin is usually only used to treat severe acne; however, GPs sometimes prescribe isotretinoin in moderate acne cases when there is evidence of scarring, a lack of responsiveness to other treatments, or when psychological distress is caused by acne.  

What Our Expert Says 

All About Acne expert, JoAnn See, says there is an increased call for GPs in Australia to be able to prescribe oral isotretinoin for people with acne.  

Reference: Hosseinpour P, Gholamabbas G, Pezeshkian F, et al. Practice and attitidue of general practitioners towards initiating isotretinoin for acne vulgaris in Fars province, Iran: cross-sectional study. BMC Prim Care 2024;25(1):27. Doi: 10.1186/s12875-023-02260-w [published Online First:2024/01/13]