Pharmacist recommendations regarding topical steroid use may contradict the standard of care in atopic dermatitis: An international, cross-sectional study
Abstract
Overall median training was 20 hours. A total of 285 pharmacists were contacted from 8 countries, of which 153 responded— response rate: 53.7%. To the Editor: Although patients commonly seek advice from pharmacists on atopic dermatitis (AD) management, pharmacists’ engagement with AD care has been little studied. An Australian survey found that 36% of pharmacists underrecognized nonadherence as a reason for treatment failure, and 46% overestimated the topical steroid (TCS) skin atrophy risk. Recent graduation and reliance on online sources both correlated with misinformation. A French survey similarly showed pharmacist mistrust in TCS, with 50% of pharmacists contradicting doctors’ instructions. Despite this, pharmacists generally express confidence in giving dermatologic advice. In order to clarify the role of pharmacists in the care of atopic patients, we carried out an international survey for a real-world evidence study in 8 countries. Pharmacists in 4 continents answered an online survey about their knowledge of the disease, their experience concerning patient fears, and their advice for patients about AD care. Pharmacists were selected from a pool of contact persons of the Eczema Foundation and answered this survey voluntarily over a period of 6 months. Of the 285 pharmacists contacted from 8 countries, 154 (53.7%) responded (Table I). Most questions asked by patients or their families concerned the following: treatment alternatives including probiotics (77.3%),…
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