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Off‐label and non‐classical prescriptions of antipsychotic agents in ordinary in‐patient practice
Author(s) -
Barbui C.,
Ciuna A.,
Nosé M.,
Patten S. B.,
Stegagno M.,
Burti L.,
Amaddeo F.,
Tansella M.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2003.00283.x
Subject(s) - medical prescription , medicine , off label use , antipsychotic , psychiatry , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , pharmacology
Objective: To estimate the proportion of off‐label prescriptions of antipsychotics (APs) in ordinary in‐patient practice. Method: From the South‐Verona Psychiatric Case Register all admissions to the in‐patient unit during 2001–02 were extracted. Prescriptions of APs were defined off‐label when dispensed outside the licensed indications. In addition, the proportion of ‘non‐classical prescriptions’ was calculated. Results: During the 2 years surveyed AP agents were prescribed in 311 cases. Nearly 50% of second‐generation AP prescriptions were for an off‐label indication. In contrast, <15% of first‐generation AP prescriptions were for an off‐label indication. About 30% of first‐ and second‐generation agents were prescribed for a non‐classical indication. Conclusion: Approved labels for second‐generation AP agents cover a much narrower range of indications than any of the first‐generation agents, and this explains the higher proportion of off‐label prescriptions. In contrast, the everyday use of first‐ and second‐generation APs cover a similar range of clinical indications.