AAD "hopeful" for sunscreen rule

The American Academy of Dermatology says it "does not have any specific knowledge about a release date for the sunscreen monograph" but "is hopeful that the FDA will release the sunscreen monograph as soon as possible," noting that in September FDA indicated that it aimed to publish its long-awaited final rule by the year's end. The academy announced Dec. 3 that it is closing down its "Seal of Recognition" program for sunscreens of demonstrated excellence, confident that FDA's updated guidelines are imminent (1"The Rose Sheet" Dec. 7, 2009). "The board did [also] consider the fact that given its low participation levels, the AAD seal program was not meeting its public education goals, which [were] to encourage greater use of more protective sunscreens and increase public awareness of the dangers of excessive sun exposure," AAD President David M. Pariser told "The Rose Sheet" Dec. 4. He noted that the costs associated with the seal program exceeded the revenue it generated, so it contributed no funds to the academy's awareness activities and therefore will not be missed on that count. Through its outreach initiatives, AAD has enabled its members to conduct 1.9 million free skin cancer screenings, detecting more than 188,000 suspicious lesions, including more than 21,500 suspected melanomas