Internal Medicine and Pharmacists’ Role in Managing Atopic Dermatitis, with Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, and Mona Shahriari, MD

In an interview with the HCPLive editorial team, the topic of the evolving role of pharmacists and internal medicine physicians in the management of atopic dermatitis was highlighted by Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, and Mona Shahriari, MD.

Shahriari serves as assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University’s School of Medicine and as the host of the HCPLive podcast series The Medical Sisterhood. Chovatiya is known for his work as clinical associate professor of medicine at Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School and as the founder and director of the Center for Medical Dermatology and Immunology Research in Chicago.

“I think that internal medicine and primary care in general are so important to get these patients to dermatology, and that's huge,” Chovatiya explained. “In the past, maybe there was a bit of a lag because they knew there wasn't much that we had as far as treatment goes, anyway. ‘You could go to a dermatologist, but I can give you a topical, and that's all they're going to give you as well.’ So much has changed, but that remains one important area that we need to be addressing, getting the patients to dermatology that really are in need of both nonsteroidal topical options and systemic therapeutics as well, that are not just intermittent oral steroids in an urgent care setting or a primary care setting.”

Chovatiya also addressed the role of pharmacists in the atopic dermatitis management space.

“From the pharmacist angle, I think that it's really important to note that our patients are getting more complex over time and they're going to be on more therapies,” Chovatiya said. “Really understanding what that looks like, and being very good stewards of people's polypharmacy is key, and that's a place where pharmacy really could shine.”

Shahriari spoke to the role of pharmacists and internal medicine doctors in atopic dermatitis as well, noting the importance of collaboration with dermatologists.

“I would hope that they do more referrals to their dermatology colleagues to ensure that patients are being treated appropriately,” Shahriari said. “But I think one place where I'm still struggling to get help from my pharmacy, as well as my internal medicine colleagues, is that there isn't a lot of education about the adverse events related to these medications. If a patient wants to get vaccines, for example, what are the do's and don'ts? Are these medications immunosuppressive? Are these medications going to interact with other medicines that the patient is on?”

Shahriari highlighted that giving patients with atopic dermatitis the correct information is vital, as any lack of awareness on behalf of the patient can make them hesitant to continue with an advanced therapeutic option.

“So I do think that now is the perfect time for us to collaborate with our colleagues from internal medicine and from pharmacy,” Shahriari explained. “If you have any doubts, if a dermatologist starts your patient on a medicine for atopic dermatitis, pick up the phone and call them before you tell the patient this may not be safe or it may interact with something, because this way we can ensure that patient's treatment is optimal and that there are no doubts in terms of trust in the system.”

For any additional information on this topic, view the full video interview posted above.

The quotes included in this summary were edited for clarity.