Off-label use is when an approved medicine is prescribed for a different reason, at a different dose, or in different patient groups than originally intended.
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The off-label use of medicines is not illegal and it doesn’t mean regulators have specifically “disapproved” its use. But there are a number of issues to consider before using a medicine off-label.
Insulin, which is used for controlling diabetes and has been in the market for 30 years, was the first biologic.
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Biologics are widely accepted as the most effective way of treating certain diseases. They have become the fastest-growing class of therapeutic compounds, with about 300 now available for human use.
Codeine-containing painkillers may soon no longer be available over the counter in Australian pharmacies.
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Australia’s drug regulator is looking into reclassifying codeine-based drugs as prescription-only. This is a good idea because the easy availability of these pinkillers is causing substantial harm.
Little pills with big problems.
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When you think about substance use and teens, drugs like marijuana or Ecstasy might come to mind. But recreational prescription drug use is a significant problem. Nationally, 17.8% of high school students…
More doctors, more antibiotics?
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More than eight out of every 10 prescriptions dispensed in the US is generic. This growth is due to a large number of top-selling drugs going off patent over the past decade, as well as innovations in…
Overseas drug approval may have unintended consequences.
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One of the much-heralded platforms of the Abbott government is its promise to business to reduce red tape and burdensome regulatory obligations. Pharmaceuticals are a multi-billion dollar global industry…
In states like Massachusetts, heroin overdoses have skyrocketed in recent years.
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In the 1930s, Harry J. Anslinger, the first head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, embarked on a fierce anti-marijuana campaign. Highlighted by the 1936 anti-marijuana film Reefer Madness – where marijuana…
Food can prevent certain medicines being absorbed into the bloodstream.
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Have you ever been advised to take a medicine with food? How about taking a medicine with cola or avoiding grapefruit? Hundreds of medicines have food-related dosing instructions. With four out of five…
Why are hospitals running out of critical drugs?
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Hospitals and pharmacies around the country are facing severe shortages of essential drugs. These shortages can limit access to critical medications and compromise patient safety, resulting in serious…
Pain, sleeplessness and ‘difficult’ behaviour: just some of the reasons we overprescribe.
Gary Cameron/Reuters
It should be no surprise that older adults are the largest users of prescription medication. After all, older adults are far more likely to have chronic health conditions than are younger people. It follows…