The Latest Insights in Acne Vulgaris
In this video, Annie Truss, MD, assistant professor at the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, discusses her Practical Updates in Primary Care (PUPC) virtual conference presentation detailing the tools, treatment pearls, and new American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) updates for both dermatologists and primary care physicians.
For more meeting coverage, visit the Practical Updates in Primary Care newsroom.
For more information about PUPC 2025 Virtual Series and to register for upcoming sessions, visit: https://www.hmpglobalevents.com/pupc
Reference:
- Truss A, Baldwin H. Acne vulgaris: Latest insights and guidelines from the AAD. Practical Updates in Primary Care. May 9, 2025. https://www.hmpglobalevents.com/pupc
TRANSCRIPTION:
Annie Truss, MD: Hi, my name is Annie Truss. I am an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. I'm really passionate about treating skin in our primary care office and treating skin in a diverse population of patients.
Consultant360: What are the key themes of your presentation?
Dr Truss: Our presentation focuses on treating acne and why that’s important for so many people suffering from acne in the U.S. today. I think we are really trying to make it known that this is accessible for primary care doctors to treat since we are seeing the vast majority of these patients.
C360: Why is this topic particularly relevant right now?
Dr Truss: Right now, we're seeing that it's really hard for our patients to get access to care. If you're trying to send your patient to a specialist, whether it be a dermatologist or really anyone else, you're seeing a really, really long wait time.
It's also expensive and often just really challenging. It's important that primary care doctors, as we're on the front line, have the tools that we can treat our patients because we're the ones that are really seeing them.
C360: What are the most important takeaways for practicing clinicians?
Dr Truss: The most important takeaways are that these are tools that you can have in your toolbox. This treatment doesn't have to be complicated, it just has to become something familiar to you. It's really something where a small difference, just a couple of different medications, can really, really help our patients.
C360: Are there any knowledge gaps that remain that are areas for future research?
Dr Truss: I think there's always room for future research. While we have good options right now, there's always room for improvement. I think just trying to better understand how to streamline the care for skin and care for diverse skin in particular is really important.
C360: How should clinicians tailor acne treatment plans for patients with varying skin types or ethnic backgrounds?
Dr Truss: I think it's important to understand that different skin types can react differently and also pay attention to what is mattering most to your patients. I think it's important to really listen to your patient. Is it the hyperpigmentation that's bothering them or is it the red papules and pustules that's bothering them? Really tailoring your treatment to the person in front of you rather than a one-size-fits-all.
C360: What are the most significant updates in recent ADD guidelines regarding prescription acne treatments?
Dr Truss: The most recent updates in the AAD guidelines really focus on a broad variety and they do talk a little bit about the tolerability and the accessibility, which is helpful. I think a lot of these medications have been around for a long time, but there's a few new ones that are added, such as clascoterone, which can be really helpful as well.
C360: Do you have any lesser known treatment pearls from your clinical experience that have made a notable difference?
Dr Truss: One of the big practice changing pieces of information for me recently has just been that there's a lot of formulations that combine multiple treatment options in one. So instead of having to prescribe a patient, a benzoyl peroxide, a retinoid and a topical antibiotic, there's now creams out there that combine all three, which really eases the use for patients and makes them much more likely to have positive outcomes with just one simple cream.
C360: Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Dr Truss: I think primary care doctors are seeing the vast majority of these patients. Previous studies have shown that up to a third of complaints or concerns that we're seeing in the primary care office are skin related, so it's really, really important that we take pride in caring for the whole patient, including their skin. These are things that we are absolutely capable of doing with just a little bit of practice.