BAP Position Statement: Off-label prescribing of psychotropic medication to children and adolescents.
The off-label use of medicines for children and adolescents remains a common and important issue for prescribing practice across child and adolescent psychiatry, paediatrics and primary care. This editorial focusses on psychotropic drug treatment, which plays an essential part in the comprehensive management of a range of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders. Despite a growing evidence base for drug treatment in child and adolescent psychiatric disorders, much psychotropic medication continues to be prescribed off-label (i.e. outside the limits of the marketing authorisation or product license). The reasons for and implications of off-label prescribing, including the potential clinical benefits/risks and medico-legal implications, are often poorly understood by both patients and prescribers. An important unintended consequence of the uncertainties and confusion surrounding the status of off-label prescribing for children and adolescents may be that effective drug treatments are being withheld or underused. This BAP Position Statement aims to clarify these issues, challenge some of the myths surrounding off-label prescribing for children and adolescents and offer practical guidance for prescribers.
Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Aditya N
AN
Sharma
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain.
Celso
C
Arango
Departments of Paediatrics and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
David
D
Coghill
Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' Trust, London, UK Kings College London, London, UK.
Paul
P
Gringras
Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
David J
DJ
Nutt
Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK.
Peter
P
Pratt
Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences, King's College London, London, UK.
Allan H
AH
Young
University of Nottingham and Institute of Mental Health, Developmental Psychiatry, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK chris.hollis@nottingham.ac.uk.
Chris
C
Hollis
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D056687:Off-Label Use; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
Child and adolescent; off-label; psychotropic prescribing