Dr. Joslyn Kirby, associate professor of dermatology at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, has received a Grant for Learning and Change from the American Academy of Dermatology and Pfizer to develop a smartphone application to help primary care physicians prescribe corticosteroids.
“Topical corticosteroids are one of the most commonly used medications for skin conditions, but writing a prescription for one of the many topical corticosteroids is complex, especially for health care providers who may not frequently prescribe them,” Kirby said.
Prescribing a topical corticosteroid requires the health care provider to think about the strength of the drug needed for the body site and which drugs meet that strength, to choose the formulation – such as a foam, solution, lotion, gel, cream or ointment – and choose the size of the tube or bottle for the length of time the person is treating and the amount of skin being treated.
Kirby will work with a team of fellow Pennsylvania Academy of Dermatology members to create the smartphone app along with volunteers from the target user group, primary care physicians.