A variety of acne medications with proved efficacy are used in the United States. The selection of the prescription medication for the patient is based on the severity and type of acne. Patients with mild to severe acne can be treated with topical or oral medicines. Although systemic therapy is mainly used for treatment of severe acne, it is sometimes needed for moderate cases.

A variety of systemic agents used to clear acne include interlesional corticosteroid injection, isotretinoin, oral antibiotics (tetracycline and erythromycin) and oral contraceptives. Interlesional corticosteroid injection is a much - diluted corticosteroid injected by the dermatologist to treat severely inflamed cysts and prevent scarring. It helps treat acne by