Reply To: bina article on acne and letters to ed in response

I took accutane as a kid. My dermatologist DID NOT push it on me. I used it as a last resort, after years of using OTC and prescription-only (i.e. Retin-A) medications. My dermatologist sat me and my mom down and went through ALL of the known side effects and complications. I had to do regular blood tests, and refills were only given once the required blood work was completed and results received. The pills, when I took them, were in blister packs, and to pop out the pill you couldn’t miss the picture of the pregnant lady with a big X over the stomach – signifying that a pregnant woman SHOULD NOT take the medication. I took this medication years ago, before the internet was as widely used as it is now. Nowadays, there is no excuse for an uneducated consumer. I am sure that the dermatologists continue to warn about the side effects of the medication, but patients CAN check for themselves – either on the internet (chas v’chalilah, I know) or (and here’s a novel idea) by reading the PACKAGING that comes with the medication.