Patient-reported reasons for the discontinuation of commonly used treatments for moderate to severe psoriasis

Background Despite widespread dissatisfaction and low treatment persistence in moderate to severe psoriasis, patients' reasons behind treatment discontinuation remain poorly understood. Objectives We sought to characterize patient-reported reasons for discontinuing commonly used treatments for moderate to severe psoriasis in real-world clinical practice. Methods A total of 1095 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis from 10 dermatology practices who received systemic treatments completed a structured interview. Eleven reasons for treatment discontinuation were assessed for all past treatments. Results A total of 2231 past treatments were reported. Median treatment duration varied by treatment, ranging from 6.0 to 20.5 months ( P < .001). The frequency of each cited discontinuation reasons differed by treatment (all P < .01). Patients who received etanercept (odds ratio [OR] 5.19; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.23-8.33) and adalimumab (OR 2.10; 95% CI 1.20-3.67) were more likely to cite a loss of efficacy than those who received methotrexate. Patients who received etanercept (OR 0.34; 95% CI 0.23-0.49), adalimumab (OR 0.48; 95% CI 0.30-0.75), and ultraviolet B phototherapy (OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.14-0.31) were less likely to cite side effects than those who received methotrexate, whereas those who received acitretin (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.08-2.25) were more likely to do so. Patients who underwent ultraviolet B phototherapy were more likely to cite an inability to afford treatment (OR 7.03; 95% CI 3.14-15.72). Limitations The study is limited by its reliance on patient recall. Conclusions Different patterns of treatment discontinuation reasons are important to consider when developing public policy and evidence-based treatment approaches to improve successful long-term psoriasis control.