Comments from a Pharmacist

Abstract

Topical medications, such as ointments, creams, and lotions, are frequently used for dermatological treatments. In clinical situations, improper use of topical medications might often be observed. First of all, changes to topical generic medication from an innovator might induce a change in release of the main compound and thus clinical efficacy. Next, there are some precautions during the preparation of an admixture of a topical medication. For example, no differences in the vasoconstriction response were observed with small degrees (16 times) of dilution in a steroid ointment. Another important consideration is the combination effect of a change to a generic medication from an innovator with preparation of the admixture. From a pharmacist’s perspective, three precautions that should be considered when applying topical medications are considered here.