title: Attitudes of community pharmacists to off-label prescribing of baclofen in Northern France.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community pharmacists' liability is involved when they dispense off-label prescriptions (OLPs). However, their attitudes to off-label prescribing are little known, while in France off-label baclofen use for alcohol dependence is increasing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine community pharmacists' attitudes to off-label prescribing of baclofen.
  
  
  METHODS
  A postal questionnaire was sent to 219 community pharmacies in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, France, previously identified as delivering at least five boxes of oral baclofen monthly. The questionnaire examined whether pharmacists delivered baclofen for alcohol dependence, how pharmacists detected off-label prescribing of baclofen, who were the most frequent prescribers (general practitioners or specialists), and pharmacists' attitudes to OLPs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty pharmacies responded (36.5 %). Detection criteria for OLPs were supra-threshold dose (77.3 %) and "off-label" written on prescription (52.5 %). General practitioners were the most frequent prescribers of off-label baclofen. Pharmacists were more likely to refuse to fill prescriptions not marked "off-label" (6.0 %) than correctly marked prescriptions (1.5 %). 85 % of respondents considered they lacked information on off-label use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although community pharmacists felt they were poorly informed on off-label baclofen, the majority nevertheless delivered the drug. Since our survey, off-label baclofen prescribing has been strictly controlled in France. Pharmacists' current attitudes will need further evaluation.
authors: Centre Régional de Pharmacovigilance, CHRU de Lille, 59037, Lille Cedex, France, marine.auffret@chru-lille.fr.
authors: Marine
authors: M
authors: Auffret
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Rolland
authors: Anne-Sylvie
authors: AS
authors: Caous
authors: Sylvie
authors: S
authors: Deheul
authors: Johana
authors: J
authors: Béné
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Cottencin
authors: Régis
authors: R
authors: Bordet
authors: Sophie
authors: S
authors: Gautier
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001418:Baclofen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D058786:GABA-B Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D056687:Off-Label Use; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D058786:GABA-B Receptor Agonists; D001418:Baclofen