The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7248 p661
10 May 2003

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No mention of community pharmacists' potential role in this comprehensive text

'Acne — the at your fingertips guide', by Tim Mitchell and Alison Dudley. Pp xiii+161. Price £14.99. London: Class Publishing Ltd; 2002. ISBN 1 85959 073 X

This excellent book provides a great deal of information and advice on acne for both sufferers and their carers. The book is divided into 11 chapters, which discuss practically every possible aspect of acne. Although primarily aimed at patients, the book, written by a general practitioner with a special interest in dermatology and the chief executive of the Acne Support Group, provides a clear and comprehensive description of the subject that would be useful for pharmacists and other health professionals who come into contact with acne patients seeking advice about their condition.

Each chapter consists of a brief introduction followed by a series of questions and answers submitted by acne sufferers. The book is well structured with early chapters dealing with the causes of acne, followed by a description of the various treatments that are available from both primary and secondary care. Acne can result in both physical and emotional scarring and both topics are dealt with in some detail in separate chapters. In an age when patients are forever seeking alternatives to conventional therapy, there is a chapter devoted to examining the role of some of these therapies. The book concludes with chapters on numerous practical issues for sufferers as well as providing advice on good skin care, finishing off with a look at future research and developments. The book also has a helpful glossary and a list of organisations and patient support groups.

What is abundantly clear from the book is the profound psychological effect of acne resulting in much misery and an enormous loss of self-confidence which affects not only the patient but can have a major impact on other members of the family as well as friends and work colleagues. Moreover, and as if to compound the problem, it seems that many doctors trivialise acne, failing to appreciate the depth of this psychological impact.

If I have any criticism it is that the book does not mention the potential role of community pharmacists in treating patients with mild to moderate acne with various over-the-counter products. Nevertheless, the book is a comprehensive resource and will be a welcome addition to pharmacists' book shelves and should fully prepare them for the majority of questions posed by their acne patients.

Rod Tucker