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Unlicensed and off label analgesic use in paediatric pain management

S Conroy1, V Peden

  • 1Academic Division of Child Health, University of Nottingham, Derbyshire Children's Hospital, Uttoxeter Road, Derby DE22 3NE, UK.

Paediatric Anaesthesia
|July 10, 2001
PubMed

Insights

This study found that 33% of analgesic prescriptions for children involved off-label drug use, highlighting a common issue in pediatric pain management. While no unlicensed medicines were used, off-label prescribing remains a significant concern.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pharmacology
  • Pain Management
  • Drug Utilization

Background:

  • Pediatric pain management has advanced significantly.
  • Use of unlicensed and off-label medications complicates pediatric pharmacotherapy.
  • This study addresses practical issues arising from such drug use.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To document the incidence of unlicensed and off-label analgesic agents in children.
  • To analyze the nature of analgesic drug use in a pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective data collection of analgesic use over a 4-week period from two hospital wards.
  • Analysis of prescription episodes to classify drug use as licensed, unlicensed, or off-label.

Main Results:

  • A total of 715 prescription episodes were analyzed.
  • 67% of prescriptions involved licensed medicines.
  • 33% of prescriptions utilized licensed medicines in an off-label manner; no unlicensed medicines were identified.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights significant issues concerning off-label drug use in pediatric pain management.
  • Paracetamol was the most frequently prescribed analgesic.
  • Recommendations for future strategies to address off-label prescribing are discussed.
Abstract

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