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. 2021 Jun 9:10:2021-4-4.
doi: 10.7573/dic.2021-4-4. eCollection 2021.

Dermatologists' attitude towards psoriasis treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic

Tiago Torres  1   2 , Marta Pereira  3 , Maria João Paiva Lopes  4   5 , Clarisse Rebelo  6 , Pedro Andrade  7 , Martinha Henrique  8 , Hugo Oliveira  9 , Paulo Ferreira  10 , Gabriela Marques Pinto  4 , Francisco Menezes Brandão  11 , Jorge Rozeira  3 , Paulo Filipe  12   13   14 , Rui Tavares Bello  15
Affiliations

Dermatologists' attitude towards psoriasis treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic

Tiago Torres et al. Drugs Context. .

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges in several dimensions in healthcare services. Herein, we describe the real-life strategies and therapeutic options adopted by dermatologists regarding their patients with psoriasis being treated with or with an indication for systemic therapy during the first COVID-19 lockdown period in Portugal.

Methods: The study involves a web-based survey on the clinical management of systemic therapy for psoriasis during the COVID-19 pandemic administered to Portuguese dermatologists. The survey consisted of 55 questions (4 open-ended questions; 51 closed-ended questions), grouped into 6 sections.

Results: A total of 60 dermatologists voluntarily participated in this survey. Nearly 63% of the participants opted for suspending biologics during the COVID-19 lockdown period and 23.3% increased the time between drug administrations. Eighty percent of the participants agreed that biologics did not change the probability of acquiring COVID-19 and 58.4% believed that these drugs decreased or did not change the severity of the disease. Approximately one-third of the participants opted not to prescribe a biological agent in patients despite clinical indication over the duration of the pandemic. Nearly 25% of the participants opted for suspending traditional immunosuppressant administration. Virtual appointments were an option for 93.3% of the participants.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the management of patients with psoriasis being treated with or with an indication for systemic therapy. Some of the decisions made during the first lockdown period were contrary to what we know today. These decisions might have had a significant impact on patients' quality of life and on future therapeutic success. An adequate interpretation and analysis of the available data will be extremely important to an insightful adaptation of the clinical practice in future confinement or restrictive scenarios.

Keywords: COVID-19; biological agents; dermatology; immunosuppression; psoriasis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure and potential conflicts of interest: TT has received honoraria for acting as a consultant and/or as a speaker from AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Biocad, Boehringer Ingelheim, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Fresenius Kabi, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Samsung-Bioepis, Sandoz, Sanofi and UCB. MP has received honoraria for acting as a consultant and/or as a speaker from Janssen and LEO Pharma. MJPL has received honoraria for acting as a consultant and/or as a speaker from AbbVie, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer and Octapharma. MH has received honoraria for acting as a consultant and/or as a speaker from Novartis. HO has received honoraria for acting as a consultant and/or as a speaker from LEO Pharma and Novartis. PFe has received honoraria for acting as a consultant and/or as a speaker from AbbVie, Almirall, Eli Lilly, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Novartis and Pfizer. GMP has received honoraria for acting as a consultant and/or as a speaker from AbbVie, Almirall, Lilly, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Novartis and Pfizer. FMB has received honoraria for acting as a consultant and/or as a speaker from Janssen. RTB has received honoraria for acting as a consultant and/or as a speaker from Abbvie, Bioderma, Galderma, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Eli Lilly, Medinfar, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB. JR, CR, PA and PFi have no conflicts of interest to declare. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Potential Conflicts of Interests form for the authors is available for download at: https://www.drugsincontext.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/dic.2021-4-4-COI.pdf

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