Describe Strategies to Make the Off-Label Use and Dosage of Drugs Safer for Children from Infancy to Adolescence

Describe Strategies to Make the Off-Label Use and Dosage of Drugs Safer for Children from Infancy to Adolescence

To increase the safety of an off-label prescription, the clinician should be well informed about the drug. According to Mei et al. (2019), the clinician should perform a thorough investigation that takes into consideration possible side effects of the drug and risks involved. In other countries like China, strategies formulated to increase safety include monitoring adverse drug reactions, obtaining approval from the pharmacy administration committee, requesting the off-label drug based on supporting evidence and establishing a database for the off-label drugs, and making regular updates. Another strategy is obtaining informed consent, although the strategy may not apply to medication supported by scientific evidence. The Institute of Medicine, in collaboration with drug regulatory agencies, envisions a post-market surveillance system that enhances documentation of prescribed drugs and their indications, including the off-label prescription (Eguale et al., 2016). Examples of off-label drugs that require extra care and attention in pediatrics include Aspirin, which may lead to severe liver and brain problems. Another example is Tetracycline, a commonly prescribed antibiotic that may damage the teeth of children below eight years.

References

Allen, H. C., Garbe, M. C., Lees, J., Aziz, N., Chaaban, H., Miller, J. L., … & DeLeon, S. (2018). Off-label Medication Use in Children, More Common Than We Think A Systematic Review of The Literature. The Journal of The Oklahoma State Medical Association, 111(8), 776.