Healthy Skepticism Library item: 18227

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

Sweet M
Gabapentin documents raise concerns about off-label promotion and prescribing
Aust Prescr 2003; 26:18-9
http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/26/1/18/9

Abstract:

Anticonvulsant medications have been widely used for off-label indications. Court documents recently released in the USA suggest that some of the off-label use of the anticonvulsant gabapentin was driven by deceptive and illegal marketing practices. Reliable evidence is not available to support many of the off-label uses of gabapentin. Off-label use of medications can be beneficial, but clinicians and patients should be aware of the quality of evidence available to support such usage.

Keywords:
pharmaceutical industry, advertising.