Gender differences in isotretinoin prescriptions during the COVID-19 pandemic at a U.S. academic medical center

Systemic isotretinoin is a highly effective treatment for severe and refractory acne but carries risk for serious adverse effects such as teratogenicity. The risk mitigation system used in the United States, iPLEDGE, requires all patients on isotretinoin therapy to complete monthly tasks including follow-up visits with their prescriber, and patients with childbearing potential must additionally undergo monthly pregnancy testing. Female patients seeking isotretinoin are disproportionately affected by iPLEDGE-related barriers and have historically been prescribed isotretinoin less than male patients. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and updated regulations permitting at-home pregnancy testing and telehealth for monthly follow-up visits presented an opportunity to study the impact of these changes on the isotretinoin gender gap. We performed a single-center analysis to determine whether gender differences in isotretinoin prescription changed at our institution at the beginning of the pandemic. We found that male predominance of isotretinoin prescriptions was greater during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic (odds ratios: 4.13 vs. 2.86). Furthermore, male patients were more likely to utilize telehealth compared to in-person visits for isotretinoin follow-up relative to female patients (odds ratios: 6.00 vs. 3.62). Despite the newly introduced flexibilities of telehealth and remote pregnancy testing, gender inequity in receiving isotretinoin treatment persists.