The Derma Care Access Network (DCAN) recently elected Adam Friedman, MD, associate professor of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, as president of the organization, which advocates for patients who face challenges in getting access to dermatological medications.

DCAN, founded in early 2016, sponsors educational advocacy initiatives and educational programs with the aim of promoting policymaking centered on access to therapies and clinical care in the dermatology field. Stakeholders in the organization include patients, physicians, researchers, and patient advocates; Friedman has been a member since the organization’s inception.

“I am honored to be elected president of this rapidly expanding organization,” Friedman said. “The work DCAN is doing to support patients is incredibly important, and I look forward to advocating for policies that will advance the field of dermatology.”

Friedman said his primary goal is to “advocate for public policy that overcomes barriers limiting patient access to approved treatments and appropriate clinical care for a broad array of skin conditions.”

To accomplish this goal, he said, DCAN will raise awareness about step therapy, prior authorizations, medical switching, and other barriers to access among physicians, members of the industry, policymakers, and patients through educational programming. That programming will include white papers, media engagement, and medical conference engagement, he added.

DCAN is a subgroup of the Alliance for Patient Access, a national network of physicians dedicated to ensuring patient access to approved therapies and appropriate clinical care.