Navigating through isotretinoin and the iPledge process is quite simple. Physicians can www.ipledgeprogram.com sign up for iPledge by entering demographic information and a Drug Enforcement Administration number. print, sign and fax a form to the program; Then wait for a password to complete the online registration. Many documents arrive in the mail, including patient education kits with consent forms and identification. Read the information. The purpose of patient information and informed consent is to ensure that you fully understand how isotretinoin works, its side effects, and your responsibilities while you are taking this medication. If for some reason you cannot get your isotretinoin in this window, you will need to qualify again to receive your medication. This means that you will have to take another pregnancy test and answer the questions again in the iPledge system. Unless this is your first recipe, you can start the qualification process immediately. Absorica capsules® should not be replaced by other forms of isotretinoin (e.g. Absorica LD, Accutane).

® Different brands may not work in the same way. If you refill your medication and it looks different, contact your pharmacist. These include young people who have not yet started menstruating, and even those who have been assigned to a woman at birth whose tubes have been attached. (Men, by the way, have their own iPledge requirements.) This study showed that community pharmacists provided the HCP with inadequate assessment, advice and guidance regarding isotretinoin prescriptions. The suboptimal level of patient assessment was demonstrated by our study with inconsistent collection of critical data needed to determine the patient`s suitability for safe and effective use, as well as poor educational advice regarding isotretinoin capsules. New strategies are needed to improve pharmaceutical supply services in community pharmacies in the UAE to monitor and optimize the use of medicines, especially medicines associated with serious health risks such as isotretinoin. Community pharmacists need additional education and training in oral isotretinoin. Emphasis should be placed on educating pharmacists on how to assess the safety, efficacy and suitability of patients to use isotretinoin, particularly for patients of childbearing potential. The results of this study will be critical for pharmacy educators and regulatory bodies around the world responsible for implementing and developing professional practice standards for community pharmacists regarding oral isotretinoin.

In addition, these findings are crucial for dermatologists who prescribe oral isotretinoin and are primarily responsible for patient safety. Do not donate blood while you are taking isotretinoin and 1 month after treatment. 11. AlGhamdi KM, Khurram H, Asiri YA, Mandil A. Degree of compliance with isotretinoin prescribing guidelines by dermatologists for women of childbearing potential. Int J Dermatol. 2011;50(9):1094–1098. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2011.04875.x For women of childbearing age, two negative pregnancy test results obtained at least 30 days apart and using two approved forms of contraception are required before the first prescription.1 Follow-up with pregnancy tests usually takes place monthly over a treatment period of four to five months. with a final visit and pregnancy test months after the end of treatment. Blood monitoring typically includes full metabolic panels, blood counts and lipid levels. The authors of a recent review suggested that laboratory monitoring in otherwise healthy patients receiving standard doses of isotretinoin is not necessary after two months of treatment.6 In our population with increasing chronic disease and complexity, the therapeutic power of isotretinoin may well be worth a few clicks on the computer and a little more time to counsel the patient. The general advice given to pharmacists assessed by this study was “incomplete”.

Only 1.5% of pharmacists informed the SP of possible adverse reactions. In addition, only 31% of pharmacists advised the PS to have laboratory testing done for surveillance. Only 5% of pharmacists indicated the need to use contraceptives while taking isotretinoin. Approximately 62% of pharmacists adequately informed the AOC of the importance of adherence. An interventional study showed that after four months of intervention, professional pharmacists resulted in a significant reduction in the patient`s average number of medication problems (ADR) (mean difference of 16%).39 The study found that pharmacists are better able to influence patients` or physicians` attitudes, behaviours, and levels of knowledge about ADRs through counselling as another study outcome.35 pharmacist counseling medication adherence, which minimizes adverse drug reactions.40 This was estimated by observation and intervention periods involving 1844 patients. The number of patients adhering to the regimen increased from 51% to 67% (p<0.01). The proportion of unfilled drugs decreased from 50% to 33%. In Croatia, the reported percentage of patient consultation adherence increased slightly by 4% when patients were interviewed at the first and next visit.41 Pharmacists assumed that patients knew everything about dispensing medicines. This resulted in a low likelihood of communication between pharmacists and patients, making patients less interested in adhering to medications. In Europe, pregnant women were still exposed to isotretinoin treatment. These were attributed to the low level of implementation of the isotretinoin pregnancy prevention program by community pharmacists.42 One study found that only 6% of community pharmacists recommended contraceptive use to patients and 11% did not check whether patients were taking the required pregnancy tests.29 In addition, Another study reported that 15% of patients were asked about the negative pregnancy test. and 49% of pharmacists checked whether contraception was being used.43 In addition, a cohort study of women of childbearing age found that the concomitant use of hormonal contraceptives and isotretinoin was only 59%.44 If pharmacists find that patients are not sufficiently protected by contraceptive use or the required pregnancy test, They should not distribute isotretinoin capsules.

Pharmacists should counsel patients and refer them to a medical specialist to prescribe the most appropriate contraceptives and undergo pregnancy tests before receiving isotretinoin capsules. Recently, it has been shown that pregnancies, abortions and fetal birth defects have decreased since the introduction of a restrictive program and the promotion of pharmacist intervention.14 Pharmaceutical care focuses on several important aspects related to pharmacists, such as their behaviour, attitudes, concerns, knowledge and skills in providing information about medicines to ensure successful treatment. 9 Patients should be given full information about the medicine they will be taking. 10 One study showed that dermatological counselling for women of childbearing age was very poor. They did not provide them with enough information about the teratogenic effects of isotretinoin.11 Instead, some studies have shown that the pharmacist properly educates patients and gives them enough knowledge to identify the risks associated with their medications using specific programs such as iPLEDGE.12–14 The coding scheme was developed and used to estimate the overall performance when administering the capsules. isotretinoin. The only ongoing data collected at each visit was the length of the MS meeting with the pharmacist. General characteristics of pharmacies/pharmacists, evaluation question data and data from which the pharmacist received self-initiated or initiated advice were defined and recorded as categorical data. The quality rate of educational advice provided by pharmacists was entered as ordinal data with coding scheme: complete = 3, incomplete = 2, incorrect or incorrect information = 1. It may take several weeks or longer for you to feel the full benefits of isotretinoin. Your acne may get worse at the beginning of your treatment with isotretinoin. This is normal and does not mean that the drug is not working.

Your acne may continue to improve even after you finish your treatment with isotretinoin. Do not share isotretinoin with anyone else, including someone who has the same symptoms as you. 13. Pinheiro SP, Kang EM, Kim CY, Governale LA, Zhou EH, Hammad TA. Concomitant use of isotretinoin and contraceptives before and after iPledge in the United States. Drug pharmacoepidemiol Saf. 2013;22(12):1251-1257. doi:10.1002/pds.3481 Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking isotretinoin. You should use two acceptable forms of contraception for 1 month before you start taking isotretinoin, during your treatment and for 1 month after your treatment.