title: Off-label prescribing: in search of a reasonable patient-centered approach.
abstract: This commentary relates to an article entitled "Off-Label Prescribing of Medications for Pain: Maintaining Optimal Care at an Intersection of Law, Public Policy, and Ethics," which appears in the same journal issue. Off-label prescribing and off-label marketing of drugs are differentiated. Vulnerability of pain patients with off-label prescribing is noted as is the lack of data on benefits and risks of the practice. The influence of the pharmaceutical industry in off-label prescribing is discussed. A lack of transparency when communicating with patients about off-label drug use is a concern.
authors: University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. barich@ucdavis.edu
authors: Ben A
authors: BA
authors: Rich
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D056687:Off-Label Use / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*