General/MoA
What part of the skin does acne affect?
A. Epidermis
B. Endodermis
C. Hair follicles
D. Hair shaft
C. Hair follicles.
Glands at the base of hair follicles make oil. The oil travels up the hair shaft. Oil trapped inside follicles causes acne.
This is the generic name for Retin-A.
A. Adapalene
B. Tazarotene
C. Tretinoin
D. Isotretinoin
C. Tretinoin
Which topical retinoid is available over-the-counter?
A. Tretinoin 0.025% cream
B. Tazarotene 0.1% gel
C. Adapalene 0.1% gel
D. Trifarotene 0.005% cream
C. Adapalene 0.1% gel
Adapalene 0.1% gel is the only FDA-approved topical retinoid available without a prescription.
A patient came in today to pickup their tretinoin prescription, they asked the pharmacist on the best time to used this medication. When should topical retinoids typically be applied?
A. In the morning
B. In the evening
C. Multiple times throughout the day
D. Only on active lesions
B. In the evening
Topical retinoids, particularly tretinoin, should be applied in the evening due to degradation with light exposure.
Which of these causes acne?
A. Not keeping skin clean
B. Not eating a healthy diet
C. Not getting exercise
D. None of the above
D. None of the above.
Hormones, your genes, greasy makeup, and certain medicines are more likely to cause skin blemishes.
What is the mechanism of action of spironolactone in acne treatment?
A. Kills C. acnes bacteria
B. Blocks androgen receptors and decreases testosterone production
C. Increases sebum production
D. Promotes keratinocyte proliferation
B. Blocks androgen receptors and decreases testosterone production
Spironolactone is an aldosterone receptor antagonist that decreases testosterone production and competitively inhibits testosterone and dihydrotestosterone binding to androgen receptors in the skin.
This is the brand name for isotretinoin.
A. Retin-A
B. Claravis
C. Differin
D. Tazorac
B. Claravis
A patient on isotretinoin should avoid taking which supplement?
A. Vitamin D
B. Vitamin C
C. Vitamin A
D. Vitamin E
C. Vitamin A
Vitamin A supplements should be avoided with isotretinoin to prevent additive toxic effects, as isotretinoin is a synthetic vitamin A derivative.
A patient taking doxycycline for acne develops severe heartburn. What counseling was likely missed?
A. Maintain upright position for at least 1 hour after taking
B. Take with food/dairy products
C. Take on an empty stomach only
D. Crush the tablet before swallowing
A. Maintain upright position for at least 1 hour after taking
Patients should maintain an upright position for at least 1 hour after ingestion to prevent pill esophagitis, a common adverse effect of tetracyclines.
True or false: tretinoin can be applied at the same time as benzoyl peroxide
A. True
B. False
B. False
Benzoyl peroxide can oxidize and inactivate tretinoin. However, tretinoin microsphere formulations, adapalene, and tazarotene do not have this restriction.
Which of these hormones triggers acne in adolescents?
A. Androgen
B. Estrogen
C. Endorphin
D. Norepinephrine
A. Androgen.
During adolescence androgen causes the oil glands at the base of follicles to get larger. Glands affected by the hormone are more likely to develop acne.
Aczone is the brand name for this topical acne medication available as a gel.
A. Benzoyl peroxide
B. Clindamycin
C. Azelaic acid
D. Dapsone
D. Dapsone
Which topical retinoid is photostable and can be applied during the daytime?
A. Tretinoin 0.025% cream
B. Adapalene 0.1% gel
C. Tretinoin 0.1% gel
D. All topical retinoids
B. Adapalene 0.1% gel
Adapalene is photostable, unlike tretinoin, making it more resistant to change upon exposure to sunlight and allowing for daytime use
What is the typical application amount of topical retinoid recommended for the entire face?
A. Pea-sized amount
B. Fingertip unit
C. Quarter-sized amount
D. Apply liberally to cover all areas
A. Pea-sized amount
Patients should apply a small, pea-sized amount of medication to cover the entire face at night, rather than applying directly over individual acne lesions.
Which drug interaction is CONTRAINDICATED with isotretinoin?
A. Benzoyl peroxide
B. Tetracyclines
C. Topical retinoids
D. Salicylic acid
B. Tetracyclines
Tetracyclines should be avoided with isotretinoin due to increased risk of intracranial hypertension
How does being in the sun affect acne?
A. Clears up pimples
B. Boosts the amount of oil your skin makes
C. Makes scars less visible
D. All of the above
B. Boosts the amount of oil your skin makes.
When your skin is exposed to the sun, it can become dry and irritated. This can set off your skin to make more oil.
Epiduo is a combination product containing adapalene and this other ingredient.
A. Clindamycin
B. Erythromycin
C. Benzoyl peroxide
D. Salicylic acid
C. Benzoyl peroxide
How long does topical retinoids take to work?
A. 1 to 2 weeks
B. 4 to 6 weeks
C. 4 to 12 weeks
D. 3 to 6 months
C. 4 to 12 weeks
Retinoids take 4 - 12 weeks to work, and acne can worsen initially.
A patient asks about using benzoyl peroxide wash versus leave-on gel. What advantage does the wash have?
A. More effective at killing bacteria
B. May reduce the likelihood of irritation compared to leave-on preparations
C. Works faster
D. No advantage; they are identical
B. May reduce the likelihood of irritation compared to leave-on preparations
Use of benzoyl peroxide washes, instead of applying topical preparations for an extended time, may reduce the likelihood of irritation while still providing antibacterial benefits.
Benzoyl peroxide is available in which of the following formulations?
A. Gel and cream only
B. Wash and gel only
C. Wash, gel, cream, and foam only
D. Wash, bar, gel, foam, lotion, and cream
D. Wash, bar, gel, foam, lotion, and cream
Benzoyl peroxide is available in multiple formulations including wash, bar, gel, foam, lotion, and cream at concentrations of 2.5% to 10%.
Name a medication that can induced acne
Hormonal agents: corticosteroids, anabolic steroids, testosterone, progesterone, and progestin-only contraceptives
Neuropsychiatric medications: lithium, phenytoin (and other anticonvulsants), antipsychotics, and antidepressants
Antituberculosis drugs: isoniazid, ethambutol
Immunomodulating agents: cyclosporine, azathioprine, and TNF-alpha inhibitors
This combination topical product contains clindamycin and tretinoin.
A. Ziana
B. Benzaclin
C. Epiduo
D. Duac
A. Ziana
Which medication should be combined with topical or oral antibiotics to minimize bacterial resistance?
A. Salicylic acid
B. Azelaic acid
C. Niacinamide
D. Benzoyl peroxide
D. Benzoyl peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide should be used concomitantly with antibiotics to minimize bacterial resistance development.
A patient on isotretinoin reports dry, irritated eyes and difficulty wearing contact lenses. What should you recommend?
A. Use lubricating eye drops/switch to glasses temporarily
B. Discontinue isotretinoin immediately
C. Increase the isotretinoin dose
D. Add an oral antibiotic
A. Use lubricating eye drops/switch to glasses temporarily
Dry eyes are commonly reported with isotretinoin. Patients who wear contact lenses may have trouble wearing them during and after treatment.
This oral contraceptive contains drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol and is FDA-approved specifically for acne treatment.
A. Ortho Tri-Cyclen
B. Yaz
C. Loestrin
D. NuvaRing
B. Yaz