Healthy Skepticism Library item: 10631

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Publication type: Journal Article

Schirm E, Tobi H, de Jong-van den Berg LT.
Risk factors for unlicensed and off-label drug use in children outside the hospital.
Pediatrics 2003 Feb; 111:(2):291-5
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/111/2/291

Abstract:

Objective. To establish risk factors of unlicensed and off-label drug use by children outside the hospital. Methods. A cross-sectional study based on 66 222 pharmacy dispensing records for the year 2000 was performed in the northern part of the Netherlands. All prescriptions were divided into the following categories: unlicensed (no product license), off-label (licensed drugs used outside the terms of the product license), and on-label (licensed drugs used according to the product license). For identifying possible problem areas, the proportions of unlicensed and off-label drug use were determined per age group (0-1, 2-5, 6-11, or 12-16 years) and per drug group. For all systemic drugs, a logistic regression was done that models the odds of receiving an unlicensed or off-label prescription as a function of several possible risk factors. Results. Unlicensed drug use in Dutch children is the highest among 0 to 1-year-olds, and off-label drug use is the highest among 12- to 16-year-olds. Drug groups with highest percentages of unlicensed and off-label drug use were ophthalmologicals/otologicals (80.7% of all prescriptions in this group), blood and blood-forming organs (mainly vitamin K for breastfed newborns; 75.7%), cardiovascular drugs (74.7%), and dermatologicals (73.3%). Prescriptions by specialists (outpatient), prescriptions for new drugs, prescriptions for drugs with a low use in the pediatric population, and prescriptions for infants were risk factors for using a systemic drug unlicensed or off-label. Conclusion. Efforts to improve pediatric labeling are important and need full support. The present results can be used to focus these efforts.

Keywords:
Adolescent Child Child, Hospitalized* Child, Preschool Cross-Sectional Studies Drug Approval/legislation & jurisprudence* Drug Labeling/legislation & jurisprudence* Drug and Narcotic Control/legislation & jurisprudence Family Practice/trends Female Humans Infant Infant, Newborn Legislation, Drug* Licensure/trends* Male Netherlands Pharmaceutical Preparations/supply & distribution Pharmaceutical Services Physician's Practice Patterns/trends Prescriptions, Drug/statistics & numerical data Risk Factors