Psoriasis Practices

Standards of practice are constantly changing. Periodic reexamination is essential for the dermatologist, practitioner, and/or planner. The standards of care for psoriasis are evolving rapidly. The importance of this disease was emphasized in 1979 when the leaders of our specialty outlined 11 major areas of research priorities.¹ The first chapter was devoted to psoriasis. On the other hand, alternate delivery systems, cost-effectiveness, and outcome analysis are competing with basic research for the attention of society as expressed through government action. Elsewhere in this issue appears "The Treatment of Severe Psoriasis: A National Survey," by Peckham, Weinstein, and McCullough.² The authors compared data generated by a 1984 mailed survey with data from a survey conducted a decade earlier called "Systemic Chemotherapy for Psoriasis,"3 of which Weinstein was also coauthor. It is particularly gratifying that a person who worked in the basic science area to establish a methotrexate dosage schedule based on