As for who should perform the monitoring, Dr. Magin said that although dermatologists generally take on that role, general practitioners "have more appropriate training and experience in psychological medicine ... and could add invaluable expertise in the psychological aspects of management in a shared care model with dermatologists." Families of patients, Dr. Magin added, may also help with monitoring. (BMJ 2010 Nov. 12 [doi:10.1136/bmj.c5866])
The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council. Mr. Sundström and his coauthors declared that they had no conflicts of interest. Dr. Magin and Dr. Sullivan have been members of All About Acne, an organization supported by unrestricted educational grants from drug companies. Neither Dr. Magin nor Dr. Sullivan received payment from the organization, and the drug companies that provide support do not manufacture isotretinoin.