Conditions: Acne Vulgaris
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 20
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this research study is to see how often benzoyl peroxide is applied for acne. Use of medication was monitored electronically.

Detailed description:
We give subjects topical benzoyl peroxide, a standard first line acne treatment, in a container that records when the container is opened and closed. Subjects will simply be asked to "return in six weeks to see how well benzoyl peroxide works for them." Subjects initially will not be told that they are participating in a formal study. When they return with their medication, we will seek their informed consent to participate in the study. Verbal consent will be obtained at the beginning of the study. There will be no written consent obtained until the end of the study. By doing this, subjects will not be aware that adherence is being measured. Subjects will not be aware that they are participating in a study. Only if they consent would we then collect the medication container and monitor and retrieve the adherence data. If they do not consent, we will not have collected any research data on them except baseline acne severity measures which may have been collected anyway as part of their clinic treatment.

Arms:
arm 1: Subjects will be given standard instructions in the use of topical benzoyl peroxide gel and will be provided with a supply of medication fitted with a Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) cap. This cap records dates and times the assembly is opened which can be downloaded at the final visit and tabulated with associated software. When the tubes are weighed, data from the MEMS Caps will be collected. Study coordinators will record adherence, while assessors are blinded to adherence rates. All subjects will be assigned to treatment with topical benzoyl peroxide to the entire face.

Interventions: intervention 1: Benzoyl Peroxide
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Benzoyl peroxide 5% gel. Applied once daily to face, minimum amount usable to cover area. Every day for six weeks.

Protocol document: