Nurx Launches Personalized At-Home Acne Treatment to Address Patient Need
Largest digital practice for women's health brings dermatology home with licensed providers, personalized treatment plans, insurance billing, and evidence-backed prescription medication delivered.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 15, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Nurx, the leader in digital healthcare for women, today announced its new at-home dermatology treatment service for acne. The service will include a consultation with a Nurx provider, a personalized treatment plan, home delivery of medication, and ongoing care. With more than 50 million people in the U.S. who experience acne, including many of Nurx's current patients, this latest medical solution from Nurx eliminates the need to make an in-person appointment, travel to a dermatologist office, or wait in line at the local pharmacy.
Thanks to this revolutionary offering, Nurx emerges as the only at-scale telehealth platform to prescribe both topical and oral acne treatments - and bill insurance for the medication. Each personalized acne treatment plan will give patients the same evidence-backed prescriptions they'd receive from an in-person dermatologist, now with far greater convenience.
"A majority of our patients have mentioned acne challenges to our medical providers, and we are now ready to help them continue to be in control of their own healthcare journey by treating acne," says Varsha Rao, Nurx CEO. "As the hormone experts, our medical team is thrilled to be able to break down barriers to acne treatment and help people live happier in their skin. This is a natural extension of what we've always done at Nurx."
Birth control is proven to be an effective treatment for some forms of acne, and Nurx will prescribe combination birth control pills, when appropriate, as part of acne treatment regimens. The Nurx medical team is uniquely positioned to treat hormone-driven acne, because they currently have more than 350,000 monthly birth control patients and have a deep understanding of hormones and women's health.
In addition to acne, Nurx is poised to introduce treatments for other common dermatological conditions later this year.
The pandemic has made acne worse, and solutions are not accessible.
The new acne treatment service addresses the fact that this condition has serious negative impacts on quality of life for many Nurx patients. In a recent survey of more than 900 Nurx patients, 85% said they experience acne at least monthly, and 1 in 4 experience it always or nearly always. In addition, 61% said that an important life event had been negatively impacted by their acne, and 1 in 3 have actually skipped a social event due to an embarrassing breakout. Lastly, 41% have heard rude comments about their acne.
For many, the COVID-19 pandemic has made acne worse. The survey found that 66% of Nurx patients with acne say that mask-wearing has caused more breakouts (aka "maskne"). "I'm an RN so I wear masks and respirators constantly now, and have had to go back to extreme, high school-level skincare to try to treat my acne," shared one patient. And 65% believe that pandemic-related stress has made their acne worse. Studies show a strong correlation between stress and increased severity of acne conditions. "My acne got ten times worse with the stress of the pandemic and wearing masks," described another patient.
However, these patients do not have access to medical care for their acne. Only 7% of the 900 patients surveyed are being treated by a dermatologist. 25% cite cost concerns as a reason they don't see a doctor for their skin, and 15% cite inconvenience or avoiding appointments because of the pandemic. "It's hard to get an appointment due to working, as well as prescription acne medication can cost a lot of money," noted one patient. Said another: "I've tried brand after brand of drugstore products. Each product will work for some time, then stop."
Nurx delivers comprehensive solutions through innovative technology and personalized patient care.
Nurx is answering this unmet need for accessible acne care with its new all-in-one service available for people with mild or moderate acne, designed in consultation with dermatologist Shinjita Das, MD, FAAD. The treatment costs $35 for the initial consultation with a medical provider, and includes a 10 week check-in and ongoing care. Patients first complete an intake exam online, at their convenience, and take photos of their acne — on their face and any other body parts where they experience breakouts — prior to submitting a request for treatment. Nurx provides support beyond only the face and treats body acne, which will be appreciated by patients who haven't been able to solve this type of acne with over-the-counter products. "I've always had acne on my back and have never found anything that helps," lamented a Nurx patient. "I would love to find something to help it."
A medical provider reviews the patient's health profile and prescribes medication as appropriate. Providers may also offer education on lifestyle modifications and optimizing the patient's skincare routine. A follow up check-in will help assess how the patient is faring on their treatment plan. Prescriptions will be refilled every three months and renewed annually, as appropriate.
"I am excited that the Nurx team of skilled and dedicated medical providers will now be able to deliver real prescription acne care to those who might not receive it otherwise, including many of our current patients who experience acne and haven't found effective solutions," says Nurx Chief Medical Officer Jennifer Peña, MD.
Through its all-in-one service that eliminates many of the traditional access barriers to healthcare while enabling an efficient and affordable way to deliver patient-centered care, Nurx has experienced unprecedented growth over the past year, registering more than 500,000 new consultations with providers, which brings its total lifetime number to 1.1M. Touchpoints with patients grew to 7.25M, with 3.15M taking place in 2020 alone. Nurx is focused on offering high-quality healthcare for needs which can be difficult to access and often carry shame and stigma. Today, Nurx offers birth control, emergency contraception, HIV prevention with PrEP, STI testing and treatment, oral and genital herpes treatment, headache and migraine treatment, and now its first dermatology treatment.
Nurx's dermatology service includes acne treatment with additional services coming soon and will be available to patients in 30 states and the District of Columbia, encompassing nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population. To learn more, visit Nurx.com/acne.
About Nurx
Nurx is a health tech company providing convenient, affordable, and personalized care for sensitive health needs. By reimagining the healthcare experience, Nurx offers patients transparent pricing and judgment-free care whenever and wherever works best for them. We believe everyone should have the freedom to live well and be in charge of their healthcare decisions, regardless of their circumstances. From diagnosis to delivery, we make every part of getting healthy and staying healthy, better.
Media Contact
Ann Noder, Pitch Public Relations, +1 480.263.1557, [email protected]
SOURCE Nurx
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