Campaign launched demanding the introduction of mental health assessments as part of the Roaccutane course of treatment
- Campaign launched to #ReformRoaccutane
- NQ-backed petition looks for inclusion of mental health assessments during the course of treatement for the acne drug
- Drug strongly linked to mental health issues such as depression
Acne is an infamous skin condition.
You more than likely know somebody who has battled with it for years.
According to the NHS, approximately 80% of people aged 11 to 30 are affected by acne with roughly 5% of women and 1% of men continuing to suffer past the age of 25.
For many, topical creams, gels and acids, followed by an array of pills, does not provide a miracle fix.
Enter Roaccutane, also known as isotretinoin or Rizuderm, the closest thing available to a cure.
It is a powerful drug that comes armed with an arsenal of side effects, such as depression and suicidal thoughts.
In the last decade prescriptions have risen sixfold, exposing many more patients to these potentially life-changing issues.
During the course of treatment, there are no mental health assessments – simply a couple of box-ticking questions from a dermatologist that will never uncover any genuine issues.
I speak from experience.
Reform Roaccutane stands to change this and push for the introduction mental health assessments as part of the course of treatment.
Dermatologists are not mental health experts. Let us stop asking them to be.
Sign the petition to #ReformRoaccutane here.