British Journal of Hospital Medicine (BJHM) is published by IMR Press from Volume 87 Issue 1 (2026). Previous articles were published by another publisher under the hybrid model (CC-BY-NC license or on a subscription basis), and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement.
Systemic therapy for acne vulgaris
Alison Layton 1
Affiliation
Article Info
1 Harrogate District Hospital, Harrogate HG2 7SX
Abstract
There are three main groups of systemic therapies available for the treatment of acne vulgaris: systemic antibiotics, hormonal therapy (for females) and oral isotretinoin. This article outlines when these treatments should be prescribed for the treatment of acne, considers the impact of therapy on aetiology, and advises on dosage regimens, potential adverse effects and expected efficacy.