Dermatologist Mona Shahriari, MD, Relies on Primary Care Colleagues as First-Line Prescribers for AD

"The bottom line is, topical therapy is still a cornerstone in treating atopic dermatitis, whether we're treating mild, moderate or severe disease," Mona Shahriari, MD, emphasized during a recent interview with Patient Care.® Even when one of her patients is on a systemic biologic therapy, she still prescribes a topical as "touch-up paint," to be used as needed during a flare. And flares are inevitable, so it's best to make sure a patient is prepared.

Shahriari also talked during the interview about the essential role played by primary care clinicians in caring for individuals with atopic dermatitis and other dermatologic conditions. Frontline clinicians are becoming more comfortable in diagnosing and treating skin disease, she said, and she knows when she gets a note from a primary care colleague about a patient who needs to be seen, that the clinician has done all they can. She goes into more detail in the video above.

Mona Shahriari, MD, is assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut and co-founder of Central Connecticut Dermatology in Cromwell, Connecticut.