Prescribe. Monitor. Respond. Repeat.
Create a meaningful and successful therapeutic management strategy that can ease anxiety and improve outcomes.
U076 – From Hesitation to Confidence: Mastering Safe Prescribing in Inflammatory Skin Disorders
4:30-5:30 p.m. | Sunday, March 29
Mile High 2B
The advancement of treatment options for inflammatory skin disorders has been remarkable on the surface. It has allowed physicians to shift from prescribing a handful of broad medicines that cover numerous conditions to having a compendium of precise, mechanism-driven immunosuppression therapies. However, with more choice comes more concern.
The new Annual Meeting session, U076 – From Hesitation to Confidence: Mastering Safe Prescribing in Inflammatory Skin Disorders, will address how dermatologists can approach the complex therapeutic landscape assuredly, efficiently, and safely.
According to the session speakers, Mona Shahriari, MD, FAAD, and Neda Shahriari, MD, FAAD, there are several key priorities when beginning treatment for inflammatory skin disorders. These include an established workflow, shared decision-making, and proactive monitoring.
“This session is timely because it will help clinicians navigate this complexity without letting anxiety become the deciding factor. The goal isn’t prescribe more, it’s prescribe well,” said Dr. Mona Shahriari, who is associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University and founding partner of Central Connecticut Dermatology.
In order to manage patients who are on long-term oral systemics or biologic agents, Dr. Mona Shahriari said there is a critical need for clear workflows that account for safety concerns and monitoring logistics. A successful plan should include baseline evaluation, ongoing observation, and proactive management. This builds confidence for the dermatologist and protects patients.
“We want physicians to have practical, repeatable strategies for starting therapy safely, monitoring intelligently, and troubleshooting calmly and confidently in the real world,” she said. “Just as importantly, we want to support a mindset shift: moving away from fear-driven decision-making and toward thoughtful, shared decisions that keep the patient’s quality of life at the center.”
Dr. Shahriari wants to empower physicians to balance their therapeutic knowledge with the unique needs, concerns, and expectations of their patients.
“We shouldn’t let fear, uncertainty, or our own discomfort quietly become the reason a patient doesn’t receive a potentially life-changing medication,” said Dr. Shahriari.
In the session, attendees will take away valuable tips to help them find the appropriate treatment for each patient and be able to recognize adverse events and respond positively. For example, it’s important to clearly present treatment options and associated follow-up. A patient may qualify for a once-daily oral pill that requires frequent lab monitoring as well as a monthly injectable with less monitoring. Both are effective, but which one is more realistic for the patient’s lifestyle and level of comfort?
“Frame safety as a partnership. By saying, ‘Here’s what I’ll be watching for, and here’s what I need you to watch for,’ you can help normalize monitoring, build trust, and foster true shared decision-making,” Dr. Mona Shahriari said.
Other helpful recommendations include:
- Implementing standardized protocols
- Recognizing clinical red flags early on
- Employing predefined action plans
The presenters will review real-life case studies on patients with psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and dermatomyositis.
Dr. Neda Shahriari is assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School.
