Running head: PEDIATRIC OFF-LABEL DRUG USE
Assignment: Off-Label Drug Use in Pediatrics
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Introduction
It is often due to a lack of awareness for its use in other age groups and not because they are
harmful. If the dangers of leaving an untreated condition outweigh those of the unapproved use
of medications, pediatric off-label use is needed.
Occurrences of Off-Label Drug Use
For children with dosage and duration, off-label prescribing is highly prevalent, with variables
sometimes altered. 91.4 percent of the medications are off-label for children aged 3 to 5 years
(Panther et al, 2017). Kids are often used on off-label drugs including antibiotics, analgesics,
antidepressants, bronchodilators and psychostimulants. With regard to antidepressants, the risk
of suicide by off-label use of antidepressants has been growing for children. According to
Panther et al. (2017), off-label drugs were administered mainly to children aged 5 years and
younger with care deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The use of psychostimulants for the
treatment of DHA is a risk of sudden heart death and adverse psychological consequences
(Arcangelo et al., 2017). The risk of toxicity is high with all off-label drug usage due to impaired
removal. Due to the procedure, both patients and guardians should be advised of the risks and
knowledge about possible side effects.
Concerns for clinical Use
Although the majority of drugs have no guidance on childhood use, approximations may be used
so that the dose is optimal for the area of the body, weight and other factors of the child
(Rosenthal & Burchum, 2017). Upon receiving the initial dose, the child should be carefully
monitored to modify subsequent doses according to its response.
Conclusion
State agencies, drug companies, funders and research facilities will work to support and
encourage child drug research. The increased use of=off-label medications can be minimized by
biomedical research. Until prescribing to a patient or particular population, the health,
effectiveness, and consistency of each drug must be investigated.
References
Arcangelo, V. P., Peterson, A. M., Wilbur, V., & Reinhold, J. A. (Eds.). (2017).
Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach (4th ed.). Ambler,
PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Panther, S. G., Knotts, A. M., Odom-Maryon, T., Daratha, K., Woo, T., & Klein, T. A. (2017).
Off-label Prescribing trends for ADHD medications in very young children. The Journal
of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 22(6), 423-429. DOI: 10.5863/1551-6776-
22.6.423
Rosenthal,=L.=D., & Burchum,=J.=R. (2017). Chapter 8: Drug therapy in pediatric patients.
In=Lehne's pharmacotherapeutics for nurse practitioners and physician
assistants[Elsevier Ebook on Vitalsource].
