Acne management. Primary care physician or dermatologist?

The question of who should treat acne patients--primary care physicians or dermatologists--is debatable. To determine physicians' attitudes toward, and referral patterns in, acne management, the authors conducted two studies. According to results of the first study, primary care physicians were less likely than dermatologists to feel referral was necessary for acne management. Primary care physicians felt that they should treat most patients with less severe (comedonal and papulopustular) acne and were neutral about referral of patients with nodulocystic acne. Dermatologists were neutral about referral of patients with less severe acne and recommended referral for most patients with nodulocystic acne. Results of the second study showed that almost all patients with less severe acne and most patients with nodulocystic acne were managed by primary care physicians. The authors feel that primary care physicians can and should handle most cases of acne without referral.