Previewing Dermatology Times' 3rd Annual Horizons in Advanced Practice Meeting

Dermatology Times will host its 3rd annual Horizons in Advanced Practice meeting on October 23, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. The one-day program is designed exclusively for dermatology nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). It pairs a general education session with small-group, case-based breakouts on atopic dermatitis, plaque psoriasis, and type 2 inflammation.

Horizons is built to deliver hands-on learning to dermatology NPs and PAs in a more intimate, focused setting. Attendees receive a pre-read of key clinical trials before the meeting, so case discussions can start from shared evidence.

Chair and Co-Chairs Lead Sessions Aligned With Key Clinical Trials

Omar Noor, MD, FAAD, returns as chair of the meeting. Noor is a board-certified dermatologist and co-owner of Rao Dermatology in New York, New York, and a member of the Dermatology Times Editorial Advisory Board.

“As the chair of the Horizons meeting, it is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to talk, bring minds together, and see where we are clinically from so many different perspectives, while at the same time learning from each other, identifying different patient cases, and identifying where we can do better,” Noor said at last year’s event.

Lakshi Aldredge, MSN, ANP-BC, DCNP, FAANP, and Douglas DiRuggiero, DMSc, MHS, PA-C, serve as co-chairs. Aldredge is a board-certified adult nurse practitioner at Beavercreek Dermatology Consulting in Beavercreek, Oregon. DiRuggiero is a board-certified physician assistant at the Skin Cancer & Cosmetic Dermatology Center in Cartersville, Georgia.

Noor will lead “Personalizing Topical Therapy: Case-Based Discussions on Nonsteroidal Topicals in Atopic Dermatitis” and “From Mechanism to Management: Case-Based Perspectives on Type 2 Inflammation in Dermatology.”² Aldredge and DiRuggiero will co-lead “Oral Therapies in Plaque Psoriasis: Case-Based Insights on an Evolving Landscape” and “Tailoring Treatment in Plaque Psoriasis: Matching Therapy to the Individual Patient.”

General Education Session Addresses Working With Industry Partners

The opening session features a faculty-led discussion of attendees’ practice challenges. Faculty will open the floor to attendees on their biggest practice challenge and what they hope to take away from the day.

The session then turns to working with industry partners. Faculty will review the roles of medical science liaisons, sales representatives, field reimbursement and access managers, patient support and hub services, and medical information teams. Each role serves a distinct function, from scientific exchange to coverage support.

Discussion will also cover best practices and guardrails, including on-label promotion limits, the PhRMA Code, and public reporting of payments to NPs and PAs through Open Payments. Attendees are encouraged to share which industry partnerships have been valuable in their practice and where they want to see additional connection.

Breakouts on Atopic Dermatitis, Psoriasis, and Type 2 Inflammation

Following the general session, attendees are divided into 2 groups. Each group rotates through all 4 breakouts in 45-minute blocks. The first 2 blocks cover atopic dermatitis and oral psoriasis therapies, and the final 2 cover tailored psoriasis treatment and type 2 inflammation.

The atopic dermatitis pre-read materials include ADORING 1, 2, and 3 for tapinarof cream 1%, TRuE-AD3 for ruxolitinib cream, and INTEGUMENT-PED for roflumilast cream 0.05%. The oral psoriasis pre-read includes the ICONIC trials of icotrokinra, among them ICONIC-ADVANCE 1 and 2, which compared icotrokinra with placebo and deucravacitinib. Also included are POETYK PSO-1 and PSO-2 and PSORIATYK SCALP for deucravacitinib and ESTEEM 1 and 2 for apremilast.

The tailoring session draws on scalp phase 3b trials of tildrakizumab and secukinumab, SPECTREM for guselkumab, and PHOENIX 1 nail data for ustekinumab. The type 2 inflammation session covers dupilumab in pediatric atopic dermatitis, chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), and prurigo nodularis (PN), along with remibrutinib in CSU and nemolizumab in PN.

A final recap session returns attendees to the full group, followed by closing remarks and a dinner and networking reception.

“Horizons gives us an opportunity to reflect on our own practices. When we hear about these up-to-date guidelines, evidence-based medicines, or the newest therapeutics, it causes us to take a step back and make sure we're doing the right things for our patients,” Aldredge said at the 2025 Horizons in Advanced Practice meeting.

“[Horizons] really is about collaboration, and that fosters the best environment for learning,” DiRuggiero added.