Healthy Skepticism Library item: 11619
Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.
Publication type: Journal Article
Stewart D, Rouf A, Snaith A, Elliott K, Helms PJ, McLay JS.
Attitudes and experiences of community pharmacists towards paediatric off-label prescribing: a prospective survey.
Br J Clin Pharmacol 2007 Jul; 64:(1):90-5
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2007.02865.x
Abstract:
AIM: To identify community pharmacist experiences of, and attitudes towards paediatric off-label prescribing.
METHODS: A prospective questionnaire-based study, with a 21-item questionnaire issued to 1500 randomly selected community pharmacies throughout the UK during 2005 on three separate occasions.
RESULTS: Four hundred and eighty-two (32.1%) completed questionnaires were returned. Over 70% of respondents were familiar with the concept of off-label prescribing, primarily through dispensing experience rather than education, although only 40% were aware of having dispensed a paediatric off-label prescription within the previous month. The reasons given for a prescription being off label were younger age than recommended (84.6%, 297/351), primarily for antihistamines, analgesics and beta(2)-agonists, and higher (73.9%, 229/310) or lower than (41%, 103/258) recommended dose, primarily antibiotics and analgesics. Over 60% of respondents had been asked by the public to sell paediatric over-the-counter medicines, such as antihistamines, analgesics and steroid preparations for off-label use. The majority of respondents used the British National Formulary or the Pack Insert rather than specialist formularies or guidelines as a source of specialist paediatric information. Although 78% of respondents believed they had a responsibility to inform the prescriber that a medicine was off label, only 66% believed that they had a similar responsibility to inform parents.
CONCLUSION: The community pharmacists who responded to this questionnaire appear to be aware of and concerned by the issues which surround paediatric off-label prescribing. Despite this, most gained relevant knowledge through work experience rather than undergraduate or postgraduate training or professional development.
Keywords:
MeSH Terms:
Adult
Aged
Attitude of Health Personnel*
Child
Child, Preschool
Drug Approval/legislation & jurisprudence*
Drug Labeling/legislation & jurisprudence*
Drug Therapy/adverse effects*
Drug Utilization
Female
Great Britain
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Male
Middle Aged
Pharmacists/psychology*
Physician's Practice Patterns*
Pregnancy
Prescriptions, Drug
Prospective Studies
Questionnaires
