Prescribing Drugs for Off-Label Use

Many of us know that  doctors prescribe drugs for uses other than those approved by the FDA. 

This article discusses off-label drug prescribing and suggests that physicians who prescribe a drug for an off-label use follow the following steps to obtain informed consent:

  • a statement that the off-label use is an “experimental use” so all the possible side effects and complications are not known;
  • a list of the common and/or known risks and complications with use of the medication;
  • a statement that the details of the treatment have been fully explained in lay terms or in terms that are easily understood by the patient;
  • a statement that no guarantees about the results of the medication are given; and
  • a statement that the patient is not required to take the medication.

Read the entire article here.

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