Steroids in General Practice
Steroids are among the most prescribed — and most misunderstood — treatments in primary care. This course gives you a clear, practical framework to prescribe with precision, manage side effects, and know exactly when to refer.
Prescribe steroids with precision
Topical and systemic steroids are everywhere in general practice — and getting them right is deceptively hard. Too weak and the condition drags on; too strong or too long and you risk real harm. Yet most of us learned steroid prescribing on the job, in fragments.
Over five focused, one-hour lessons, UCT’s dermatology faculty give you a clear, practical framework: how to choose potency and formulation, match the steroid to the site and condition, counsel patients on safe use, and recognise the red flags that mean it’s time to refer. It’s built around the conditions you treat every week, in the South African primary-care setting.
By the end of this course
- ✓Choose the right steroid potency and formulation for the case.
- ✓Match the steroid to the body site and the skin condition.
- ✓Counsel patients on safe use and the “fingertip unit”.
- ✓Recognise and manage local and systemic side effects.
- ✓Taper safely and avoid rebound and withdrawal.
- ✓Spot the red flags — when it isn’t just a rash — and refer.
Self-paced lessons, live expert sessions
Course lessons
- Steroids demystified: potency & formulationThe ladder of potency and the fingertip unit.
- Matching the steroid to the site and the skinFace, flexures, palms, scalp — why site matters.
- Topical steroids in practiceEczema, psoriasis and the common presentations.
- Side effects, safe use & taperingAvoiding harm, rebound and steroid phobia.
- Red flags: when to referThe presentations that need a specialist.
🎥 Live expert sessions
Alongside the recorded lessons, you’ll join live Zoom sessions with the UCT dermatologist who leads the course — to work through real cases, share prescribing questions, and build confidence.
- Live attendance encouraged — bring your own cases
- Every session recorded, so you never miss out
- 3 months’ access to all lessons and recordings
- Certificate of completion on finishing the course
Presenter name to be confirmed
A short bio goes here — the presenter’s clinical focus in dermatology, their role at UCT, and why they’re the right person to teach this. (This copy will be finalised with UCT as part of the course build. Placeholder photo shown.)
Ready to join?
Enrolment is by application so we can verify every learner and protect the quality of your cohort. It takes about five minutes.
- 1Complete the short application below.
- 2We verify your professional registration (HPCSA) — within 24 hours.
- 3On approval, we email you a secure PayFast payment link.
- 4Pay, and your 3-month access begins immediately.