{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T20:46:09Z","timestamp":1792788369087,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"F1000 Research Ltd","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]],"date-time":"2026-02-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772064000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Health Service Executive South West","id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04zke5364","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["hrbopenresearch.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["HRB Open Res"],"abstract":"<ns3:p>Introduction Acne Vulgaris (Acne) is a common, chronic, cutaneous disorder associated with scarring, hyperpigmentation, and adverse psychological effects. The high prevalence of acne places a significant burden on healthcare systems worldwide due to the cost of treatment. The high usage of antibiotics in the treatment of this condition also has a significant impact on the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance. Isotretinoin is considered to be the most effective treatment for the management of severe acne; however, issues remain with inequitable access to this drug. General Practitioners (GPs) are ideally placed to identify and manage patients with moderate-to-severe acne; however, in many countries the prescription of isotretinoin is limited to secondary care. To the authors' knowledge, no review has been conducted to identify, map and analyse literature pertaining to GPs\u2019 use of isotretinoin for the management of acne. Methods As recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), a three-step search strategy will be utilised for this scoping review. A search strategy will be developed using key words, search terms and controlled vocabulary suitable for each literature source. Both primary and grey literature will be eligible for inclusion in this review. Identified literature will be screened by two reviewers to identify relevant evidence. The full-text sources will then be evaluated by two independent researchers to extract relevant data. The findings of this review will be reported as a descriptive summary accompanied by a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram. Results This scoping review protocol outlines a systematic approach to map a broad range of sources and summarise existing evidence regarding GPs\u2019 use of isotretinoin for the management of acne in primary care. Conclusions The objective of this scoping review is to comprehensively identify, map, and analyse literature pertaining to the management of acne using isotretinoin in general practice. Review registration Registered on Open Science Framework on 02\/10\/2025 (https:\/\/osf.io\/rak3d\/)<\/ns3:p>","DOI":"10.12688\/hrbopenres.14215.1","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,25]],"date-time":"2026-04-25T02:54:06Z","timestamp":1777085646000},"page":"21","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.12688\/hrbopenres.crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Management of Acne in General Practice using Isotretinoin: A Scoping Review Protocol"],"prefix":"10.12688","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-6926-3760","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shane","family":"Collins","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Practice Cork County Cork University College Cork School of Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3205-3871","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tony","family":"Foley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Practice Cork County Cork University College Cork School of Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7542-6028","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diarmuid","family":"Quinlan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Practice Cork County Cork University College Cork School of Medicine"},{"name":"Dublin Irish College of General Practitioners"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emma","family":"Wallace","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Practice Cork County Cork University College Cork School of Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7496-9477","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura","family":"Sahm","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pharmaceutical Care Research Group, School of Pharmacy Cork County Cork University College Cork School of Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aisling","family":"Farrell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Practice Cork County Cork University College Cork School of Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2560","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"673-683","DOI":"10.1111\/bjd.20882","article-title":"Magnitude and temporal trend of acne vulgaris burden in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.","volume":"186","author":"H Chen","year":"2022 cited 2025 Jun 12","journal-title":"Br. J. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"474-485","DOI":"10.1111\/bjd.12149","article-title":"Epidemiology of acne vulgaris.","volume":"168","author":"K Bhate","year":"2013","journal-title":"Br. J. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref3","first-page":"7\u201313.","article-title":"Common Skin Conditions in Children and Adolescents: Acne.","volume":"541","author":"M Zha","year":"2024","journal-title":"FP essentials."},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"53-57","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-540-69375-8_7","author":"C Zouboulis","year":"2014 cited 2025 Jun 12","journal-title":"Pathogenesis and Treatment of Acne and Rosacea."},{"key":"ref5","first-page":"429-443","article-title":"Antibiotics and Antimicrobial Resistance in Acne: Epidemiological Trends and Clinical Practice Considerations.","volume":"95","author":"C Dessinioti","year":"2022 Dec 22 cited 2025 Jun 15","journal-title":"Yale J. Biol. Med."},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"73-78","DOI":"10.1111\/jdv.16686","article-title":"Antibiotic resistance in acne: changes, consequences and concerns.","volume":"35","author":"A Karadag","year":"2021 cited 2024 Oct 4","journal-title":"J. Eur. Acad. Dermatol. Venereol."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1006.e1-1006.e30","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaad.2023.12.017","article-title":"Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris.","volume":"90","author":"R Reynolds","year":"2024 May 1","journal-title":"J. Am. Acad. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1136-1142","DOI":"10.1111\/bjd.12912","article-title":"Epidemiology and extracutaneous comorbidities of severe acne in adolescence: a U.S. population-based study.","volume":"170","author":"J Silverberg","year":"2014 May 1 cited 2024 Oct 4","journal-title":"Br. J. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S2-S7","DOI":"10.1016\/s0190-9622(08)80252-6","article-title":"Guidelines for optimal use of isotretinoin in acne.","volume":"27","author":"A Layton","year":"1992","journal-title":"J. Am. Acad. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15-21","DOI":"10.1159\/000246015","article-title":"Scarred for life?.","volume":"195","author":"A Layton","year":"1997","journal-title":"Dermatology (Basel)."},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"135-141","DOI":"10.2165\/00128071-200102030-00002","article-title":"Optimal management of acne to prevent scarring and psychological sequelae.","volume":"2","author":"A Layton","year":"2001","journal-title":"Am. J. Clin. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"162-169","DOI":"10.4161\/derm.1.3.9364","article-title":"The use of isotretinoin in acne.","volume":"1","author":"A Layton","year":"2009 cited 2024 Oct 4","journal-title":"Dermatoendocrinol."},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"358-369","DOI":"10.1370\/afm.2995","article-title":"Comparative Efficacy of Pharmacological Treatments for Acne Vulgaris: A Network Meta-Analysis of 221 Randomized Controlled Trials.","volume":"21","author":"C Huang","year":"2023 Jul 1 cited 2025 Jun 14","journal-title":"Ann. Fam. Med."},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"900-906","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaad.2004.02.012","article-title":"American Academy of Dermatology et al. American Academy of Dermatology Consensus Conference on the safe and optimal use of isotretinoin: summary and recommendations.","volume":"50","author":"L Goldsmith","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Am. Acad. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref16","article-title":"National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e651-e656","DOI":"10.3399\/bjgp20X712337","article-title":"GPs\u2019 practice and attitudes to initiating isotretinoin for acne vulgaris in Ireland: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey in primary care.","volume":"70","author":"K Carmody","year":"2020 Sept","journal-title":"Br. J. Gen. Pract."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1186\/s12875-023-02260-w","article-title":"Practice and attitude of general practitioners towards initiating isotretinoin for acne vulgaris in Fars province, Iran: cross-sectional study.","volume":"25","author":"P Hosseinpour","year":"2024 Jan 13","journal-title":"BMC Prim. Care."},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"BJGPO.2024.0211","DOI":"10.3399\/BJGPO.2024.0211","article-title":"Acne management in Norway: general practitioner and dermatologist prescriptions (2012-2019), a nationwide overview.","volume":"9","author":"C Christiansen","year":"2025 May 20 cited 2025 Aug 19","journal-title":"BJGP Open."},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e093572","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2024-093572","article-title":"Widening access to isotretinoin in primary care: an evaluation of New Zealand national dispensing data for isotretinoin for acne, 2008-2023.","volume":"15","author":"P Moodie","year":"2025 Jan 28","journal-title":"BMJ Open."},{"key":"ref22","article-title":"Competencies and clinical guidelines for managing acne with isotretinoin in general practice: A scoping review.","author":"D Quinlan","year":"2025 Jun 23 cited 2025 Jul 7","journal-title":"Br. J. Gen. Pract."},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e78-e84","DOI":"10.3399\/bjgp20X713873","article-title":"GPs\u2019 perspectives on acne management in primary care: a qualitative interview study.","volume":"71","author":"D Platt","year":"2021 Jan","journal-title":"Br. J. Gen. Pract."},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"210","DOI":"10.1186\/s13643-016-0384-4","article-title":"Rayyan\u2014a web and mobile app for systematic reviews.","volume":"5","author":"M Ouzzani","year":"2016 Dec 5 cited 2025 Jun 14","journal-title":"Syst. Rev."},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"n71","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.n71","article-title":"The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews.","volume":"372","author":"M Page","year":"2021 Mar 29 cited 2024 Sep 24","journal-title":"BMJ."},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.17605\/OSF.IO\/SZKTB","article-title":"The General Practitioner\u2019s Perspective on Isotretinoin for the Management of Acne Vulgaris in Primary Care: A Scoping Review Protocol [Document].","author":"S Collins","year":"2025 cited 2026 Jan 22","journal-title":"OSF."}],"container-title":["HRB Open Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/hrbopenresearch.org\/articles\/9-21\/v1\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/hrbopenresearch.org\/articles\/9-21\/v1\/pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/hrbopenresearch.org\/articles\/9-21\/v1\/iparadigms","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T08:09:17Z","timestamp":1791965357000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/hrbopenresearch.org\/articles\/9-21\/v1"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]]},"references-count":24,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.12688\/hrbopenres.14215.1","relation":{"has-review":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.21956\/hrbopenres.15633.r54465","asserted-by":"subject"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.21956\/hrbopenres.15633.r53861","asserted-by":"subject"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.21956\/hrbopenres.15633.r53862","asserted-by":"subject"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.21956\/hrbopenres.15633.r53862","asserted-by":"object"},{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.21956\/hrbopenres.15633.r54465","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["2515-4826"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2515-4826","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]]},"assertion":[{"value":"Indexed","URL":"https:\/\/hrbopenresearch.org\/articles\/9-21\/v1#article-reports","order":0,"name":"referee-status","label":"Referee status","group":{"name":"current-referee-status","label":"Current Referee Status"}},{"value":"10.21956\/hrbopenres.15633.r53861, Weeratian Tawanwongsri, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 06 Mar 2026, version 1, indexed","URL":"https:\/\/hrbopenresearch.org\/articles\/9-21\/v1#referee-response-53861","order":0,"name":"referee-response-53861","label":"Referee Report","group":{"name":"article-reports","label":"Article Reports"}},{"value":"10.21956\/hrbopenres.15633.r54465, Cathrine Strom Christiansen, University of Oslo, Oslo, 25 Apr 2026, version 1, indexed","URL":"https:\/\/hrbopenresearch.org\/articles\/9-21\/v1#referee-response-54465","order":1,"name":"referee-response-54465","label":"Referee Report","group":{"name":"article-reports","label":"Article Reports"}},{"value":"10.21956\/hrbopenres.15633.r53862, Anneliese Willems, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 05 Jun 2026, version 1, indexed","URL":"https:\/\/hrbopenresearch.org\/articles\/9-21\/v1#referee-response-53862","order":2,"name":"referee-response-53862","label":"Referee Report","group":{"name":"article-reports","label":"Article Reports"}},{"value":"This research is supported by a research grant from the Health Service Executive South West.","order":3,"name":"grant-information","label":"Grant Information"},{"value":"This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.","order":0,"name":"copyright-info","label":"Copyright"}]}}