News|Articles|November 4, 2026

The Practice Brief: New Approvals, Access Barriers, and Evolving Care

Author(s)Shannon Heaning, Content Associate

Stay ahead with a weekly roundup of the biggest practice management, AI, policy, business, and professional development updates in dermatology.

Help your practice thrive—one week at a time.

Welcome to The Practice Brief, your weekly roundup of the news, trends, and ideas shaping the future of dermatology. Each edition highlights the biggest developments in practice management, reimbursement, policy, AI, business, and professional growth, while connecting them to existing Dermatology Times and NP/PA Connect coverage. The goal isn't just to keep you informed—it's to help you discover what's next, identify opportunities, and keep your practice performing at its best.

Medicare Access Barriers Can Limit the Value of Advanced Therapies

As dermatology's therapeutic landscape continues to expand, access does not always keep pace. Speaking at Horizons in Advanced Practice, Louis Margulis, PA-C, highlighted the challenges Medicare patients can face when trying to obtain advanced therapies, even after failing required topical or conventional treatments.¹

For NPs and PAs, those barriers can turn treatment selection into an exercise in navigating what is clinically appropriate against what is realistically accessible. Margulis also emphasized the importance of making limited appointment time count, including simple strategies such as introducing yourself, making eye contact, and identifying the patient's most important concern early in the visit.¹

▶ Why it matters: Having more effective therapies does not automatically translate into better care if patients cannot access them. NPs and PAs are often closely involved in treatment education, prior authorizations, financial assistance, and follow-up, putting them in a key position to identify, and help navigate, barriers before they derail care.

Networking and Education Are Clinical Tools, Too

Professional development for dermatology NPs and PAs extends beyond earning continuing education credits. At Horizons in Advanced Practice, clinicians emphasized the value of networking, mentorship, and ongoing education as ways to strengthen both individual careers and the care delivered in practice.²

Connecting with other advanced practice clinicians can create a network for discussing difficult cases, learning how colleagues approach emerging therapies, and gaining perspectives that may not be available within a single practice. As dermatology grows increasingly complex, those relationships can become an important resource for clinicians navigating new responsibilities and treatment options.²

▶ Why it matters: A strong professional network can function as an extension of your clinical toolkit. Building relationships with colleagues gives NPs and PAs more opportunities to exchange practical knowledge, ask questions, find mentors, and continue developing throughout their careers.

Emerging Therapies Are Raising the Bar for Continuing Education

From oral peptides to an expanding understanding of type 2 inflammation, Horizons in Advanced Practice highlighted how quickly the science behind dermatologic treatment is changing. Presentations explored emerging mechanisms and therapeutic strategies that may influence how advanced practice clinicians approach inflammatory skin disease.³

That pace of innovation creates an opportunity, and a responsibility, for NPs and PAs to continually update their knowledge. Understanding a new therapy increasingly requires more than recognizing a drug name. Clinicians must be prepared to explain mechanisms, safety considerations, patient selection, and where emerging options may eventually fit into existing treatment algorithms.³

▶ Why it matters: The treatment landscape can change substantially between formal training and everyday practice. Prioritizing continuing education helps clinicians translate increasingly complex science into practical conversations and more informed treatment decisions with patients.

Whole-Patient Care Requires Looking Beyond the Skin

Lessons from the Society for Pediatric Dermatology's 2026 meeting reinforced that high-quality dermatologic care often requires looking beyond visible disease. Discussions highlighted communication, cultural competence, mental health, genetics, and other factors that can shape the experiences of children and adolescents living with skin disease.⁴

For advanced practice clinicians, the concept has implications beyond pediatric dermatology. Patients bring treatment preferences, psychosocial concerns, family dynamics, access challenges, and different levels of health literacy into the examination room. Recognizing those factors can help clinicians individualize both treatment and communication.⁴

▶ Why it matters: Successful treatment is not determined by clinical efficacy alone. Understanding the person behind the diagnosis can uncover barriers, improve communication, and help NPs and PAs develop care plans patients can realistically follow.

Clinical Pearls Can Be Just as Valuable as Major Data Readouts

At Elevate-Derm Summer, experienced clinicians shared practical strategies spanning hair loss, hyperpigmentation, care of older adults, and JAK inhibitor management. Rather than focusing solely on major trial results or new approvals, the discussions emphasized clinical pearls that can be incorporated into everyday patient encounters.⁵

These practical lessons can be especially useful for advanced practice clinicians managing a broad range of dermatologic conditions. Small changes in examination technique, patient counseling, treatment monitoring, or therapeutic decision-making may not make regulatory headlines, but they can meaningfully influence how efficiently and confidently clinicians approach care.⁵

▶ Why it matters: Staying current doesn't only mean following the newest approval. Practical insights from experienced colleagues can help NPs and PAs refine everyday workflows, strengthen clinical decision-making, and immediately apply new knowledge to patient care.

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