Calcipotriol cream in the morning and ointment in the evening: a novel regimen to improve compliance

BACKGROUND: Calcipotriol ointment and calcipotriol cream have both been sho wn to be effective in the treatment of psoriasis. AIM: To find out the patient compliance, efficacy and tolerance to a regime n of a calcipotriol cream application in the morning and a calcipotriol oin tment application in the evening. METHODS: In order to obtain data relevant to daily practice, information wa s obtained from patients and dermatologists on the treatment of psoriasis w ith a combination of calcipotriol ointment and calcipotriol cream. In total , three assessments were carried out: at the beginning, after 3 weeks and a fter 8 weeks. The first assessment comprised general demographics, localiza tion of the lesions, the percentage body surface involved, and details on o ther antipsoriatic medications. The second and third assessments were an ev aluation of compliance and efficacy in comparison with calcipotriol ointmen t monotherapy, provided that the patients had experience with this treatmen t. In total, 976 patients were included by 170 dermatologists in The Nether lands and Belgium. RESULTS: Compliance with the combined use of calcipotriol cream in the morn ing and calcipotriol ointment in the evening was optimal in 60-70% of the p atients. The highest compliance was shown at the second visit but dropped a t the third visit. Those patients with previous experience of calcipotriol ointment indicated that the calcipotriol cream/ointment regimen was a bette r principle. Response to the calcipotriol cream/ointment regimen was consid ered good in 67-76% of the patients. CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that the combined use of calcipotri ol cream in the morning and ointment in the evening is useful as a principl e for mild to severe psoriasis. A total of 67-68% of the patients stated th at this regimen was the most preferred topical treatment of psoriasis.