|
The widespread practice of prescribing drugs for
children, which have not been specifically approved for pediatric use,
calls for better drug testing to ensure their safety. There is considerable
concern within Europe and the United States about the use of unlicensed
or off label drugs in children.
Nearly half of the 2,262 prescriptions the investigators
studied fell into the unlicensed and off label use. Off label use of some
drugs may present unknown hazards. The authors cite as a particular concern
the use of inhaled steroids for asthmatic children under the age of 2
years, who could experience growth suppression with such treatment.
British Medical Journal
January 8, 2000;320:79-82
| 