Clinical Tips: Moisturizing Advice, An App for Pricing Drugs, and More

Tip 1: A Helpful Moisturizing Analogy 

For my patients with different forms of dermatitis and dry skin, to stress the importance of moisturizing the skin repeatedly throughout the day, I like to compare dry skin to dry wood. Dry wood requires just a spark to catch fire. The same goes for dry skin. Scratching an itch can lead to a rash, which worsens their condition. In both cases, the right degree of moisture is necessary to prevent any catastrophic effects. It seems to help get the point across. 

Sam Fayman, MD

Galesburg, IL

Tip 2: An App for Pricing Drugs

Patient drug coverage for generic and nonformulary drugs has become unpredictably high, to the point where a school teacher in Texas tragically died from influenza complications after declining Tamiflu because she did not want to be billed the $100 copay. Dermatologists have to start factoring cost into the equation when recommending specific medications to patients. A free downloadable app for smartphones, GoodRX, shows the true cost of the medications, including biologics, phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors, and Janus kinase inhibitors. I use the app when choosing among different topical generic steroids where several choices are available to find the most economical one. I think this results in fewer call backs from the pharmacy about prescriptions I write.

Wayne Fujita, MD

Aiea, HI

Tip 3: Getting More Out of Clobex Shampoo

Normally, Clobex (clobetasol propionate shampoo) for scalp psoriasis is left on for 15 minutes before being washed out and used twice a week. If patients show insufficient response to this protocol, another option is to have them leave the product on their scalp overnight (wear a shower cap to bed to avoid getting it on the bedsheets and pillowcases), then lather and wash it out the next morning.

Benjamin Barankin, MD, FRCPC

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Tip 4: Distraction = Patient Satisfaction 

When doing toxin or filler injections, I have my medical assistant lightly brush the side of the patient’s face with gauze. Like a light massage, it relaxes the patient and distracts them from the pain of injections. As a result, patients tell us they much prefer getting cosmetic treatments done at my office because we go the extra mile to make it a more comfortable experience.

Heather Downes, MD, FAAD

Lake Forest, IL 

Dr. Barankin is a dermatologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is author-editor of 7 books in dermatology and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature.

Tip 1: A Helpful Moisturizing Analogy 

For my patients with different forms of dermatitis and dry skin, to stress the importance of moisturizing the skin repeatedly throughout the day, I like to compare dry skin to dry wood. Dry wood requires just a spark to catch fire. The same goes for dry skin. Scratching an itch can lead to a rash, which worsens their condition. In both cases, the right degree of moisture is necessary to prevent any catastrophic effects. It seems to help get the point across. 

Sam Fayman, MD

Galesburg, IL

Tip 2: An App for Pricing Drugs

Patient drug coverage for generic and nonformulary drugs has become unpredictably high, to the point where a school teacher in Texas tragically died from influenza complications after declining Tamiflu because she did not want to be billed the $100 copay. Dermatologists have to start factoring cost into the equation when recommending specific medications to patients. A free downloadable app for smartphones, GoodRX, shows the true cost of the medications, including biologics, phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors, and Janus kinase inhibitors. I use the app when choosing among different topical generic steroids where several choices are available to find the most economical one. I think this results in fewer call backs from the pharmacy about prescriptions I write.

Wayne Fujita, MD

Aiea, HI

Tip 3: Getting More Out of Clobex Shampoo

Normally, Clobex (clobetasol propionate shampoo) for scalp psoriasis is left on for 15 minutes before being washed out and used twice a week. If patients show insufficient response to this protocol, another option is to have them leave the product on their scalp overnight (wear a shower cap to bed to avoid getting it on the bedsheets and pillowcases), then lather and wash it out the next morning.

Benjamin Barankin, MD, FRCPC

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Tip 4: Distraction = Patient Satisfaction 

When doing toxin or filler injections, I have my medical assistant lightly brush the side of the patient’s face with gauze. Like a light massage, it relaxes the patient and distracts them from the pain of injections. As a result, patients tell us they much prefer getting cosmetic treatments done at my office because we go the extra mile to make it a more comfortable experience.

Heather Downes, MD, FAAD

Lake Forest, IL 

Dr. Barankin is a dermatologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is author-editor of 7 books in dermatology and is widely published in the dermatology and humanities literature.