Thursday, January 13, 2011

Off-label use of atypical antipsychotics

A Reuters report based on an article in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety suggests atypical antipsychotics are overused. The article looked at trends in outpatient prescribing in the US. Antipsychotic use for indications without FDA approval increased between 1995 and 2008 with an estimated cost associated with off-label use in 2008 of US$6.0 billion. Atypical use has grown far beyond substitution for the now infrequently used typical agents.

(With thanks to Vince Boehm)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"Dual Diagnosis" Drug and Alcohol treatment, Turning "alcoholics" into life long mental patients. Young adults, college students...

Multiple diseases often co-exist with dual diagnosis disease. Co-existing disorders, commonly termed Dual Diagnosis, can be aquired during the evaluation process. Many other dangerous side effects can also be aquired during the evaluation process.

As a result, the person with dual diagnosis disease disorder will have frequent mislabelings that are generally more severe and last longer than usual.

Disease mongering is a pejorative term for the practice of widening the diagnostic boundaries of illnesses, and promoting public awareness of such, in order to expand the markets for those who sell and deliver treatments, which may include pharmaceutical companies, physicians, and other professional or consumer organizations.

Examples include: dual-diagnosis-disease