Welcome

AS A PROVINCIAL REFERRAL CENTRE we provide treatment to people who have Psoriasis, a common skin condition resulting in reddened, dry, scaling lesions on the skin.
No permanent cure for psoriasis has yet been discovered, but with treatment, patients are able to enjoy clear skin for extended periods of time.
A variety of other skin conditions are also amenable to ultraviolet therapy, and can be treated at our clinic. The decision to initiate ultraviolet light therapy must be made in consultation with a dermatologist.
Through a highly specialized nursing staff and health care team, our clinic offers three major treatment programs. All people who participate in this program must be referred for treatment by a dermatologist.
The Psoriasis & Phototherapy Clinic is affiliated with the University of British Columbia and functions as a teaching clinic for Residents and Medical students in the UBC Division of Dermatology. We also support an active research program in psoriasis and light therapy. Patients interested in participating in these research programs are encouraged to discuss this with the clinic staff.

Treatment Programs

1. Day Care Program

THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES intensive treatment over a two week period, (on week days) for patients with extensive psoriasis or psoriasis that has not responded to standard outpatient treatment. The focus of this treatment, is daily medication, ultraviolet light treatment, education, counselling and group discussion. Medication consists of topical tar ointment or anthralin preparations, alternating with ultraviolet light exposure.
Education, emotional support and group discussion provided by the health care team of the Psoriasis & Phototherapy Clinic is an important component of this program. Emotional, social and physical stresses of the disease are dealt with in discussions with staff and other patients.

2. UVB (Short Wave Ultraviolet Light) Treatment Program

THIS TREATMENT PROGRAM PROVIDES Ultraviolet B light on a drop-in basis, two to three times per week.
People in this program, are expected to supplement their Ultraviolet light treat-ment with home-application of topical medication as prescribed by their derma-tologist.
Again, in this program our nursing staff are available to provide practical information on topics including proper use of medication, what to expect, and how to manage one's psoriasis.

3. PUVA Treatment Program

THIS PROGRAM INVOVLES a combination of Psoralen (Methoxsalen), a drug taken orally, in conjunction with long wave ultraviolet light treatments (PUVA) on a two to three times weekly basis. Psoralen (Methoxsalen) is also available in a topical form for certain localized conditions.
Each person is scheduled for brief appointments (lasting five minutes to twenty-five minutes). One and a half hours to two hours prior to each treatment session, patients take the medication Psoralen.
Once there is improvement, the treatment is usually discontinued or tapered off gradually from once a week to once a month.
Following a referral to this PUVA program by a dermatologist, patients undergo a medical assessment that includes a history, physical examination, an eye assessment (by an ophthalmologist), and certain blood tests. It is important to be in good general health when participating in this treatment program. After being accepted into the program, ongoing health assessments are conducted to monitor the results of the treatment.

Fee for Treatment

TREATMENTS ARE COVERED by the Medical Service Plan of British Columbia.

Outside Accommodation

A LIST OF ACCOMODATIONS in the area is available upon request.

Directions

THE PSORIASIS & PHOTOTHERAPY UNIT is located on the Ground floor of The Skin Care Centre at 835 West 10th Avenue. Coin operated pay parking is available directly below the building, and is accessible from the laneway behind the building.

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Created: 11Nov96
Converted to HTML: 03Jan97