Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T17:06:55.130Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prescriptions, licences and evidence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

David Healy  and
David Nutt
David Healy*
Affiliation:
North Wales Department of Psychological Medicine, Hergest Unit, Bangor LL57 2PW
David Nutt
Affiliation:
Department of Psychopharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Bristol
*
∗Correspondence
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Aims and method

There is considerable confusion at present among clinicians as regards the appropriateness of prescribing off-licence. Because of the nature of the registration process it is likely that a considerable proportion of prescribing will always be off-licence. This paper seeks to clarify when it is appropriate to prescribe off-licence. We convened a workshop on behalf of the British Association for Psychopharmacology involving clinicians and regulators from a variety of countries to explore this issue both generally and for specific childhood and learning disability clinical situations. Recent statements from the defence unions and consumer groups were also scrutinised.

Results

Across senior clinicians and regulators from a number of European countries and North America there is a consensus that prescribing off-licence is a necessary part of the art of medicine.

Clinical implications

Current advice to clinicians on the issue of off-licence prescribing can sometimes overemphasise the hazards and neglect the benefits that may stem from appropriate off-licence prescribing. Good prescribing involves specifying treatment goals and monitoring outcomes and it is more important to share this with the patient than it is to communicate the licensed status of the drug being prescribed.

Type
Original Papers
Information
Psychiatric Bulletin , Volume 22 , Issue 11 , November 1998 , pp. 680 - 684
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

References

Anonymous (1992) Prescribing unlicensed drugs or using drugs for unlicensed indications. Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin, 7 December, 97–99.Google Scholar
Beaumont, G. & Healy, D. (1993) The place of clomipramine in psychopharmacology. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 7, 378–388.Google Scholar
Bradley, C. (1937) The behaviour of children receiving benzedine. American Journal of Psychiatry, 94, 577–585.Google Scholar
British Association for Psychopharmacology (1997) Child and learning difficulties psychopharmacology. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 11, 291–294.Google Scholar
British Paediatric Association (1996) Licensing Medicines for Children. London: British Paediatric Association.Google Scholar
Conners, C. K. & Eisenberg, L. (1963) The effect of methylphenidate on symptomatology and learning in disturbed children. American Journal of Psychiatry, 120, 458–463.Google Scholar
Healy, D. (1997) The Antidepressant Era. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Lasagna, L. (1998) Back to the future. The evaluation of drugs 1958–1998. In The Psychopharmacologists, Vol. 2 (ed. Healy, D.), pp. 135–166, London: Lippincott–Raven.Google Scholar
Liebenau, J. (1987) Medical Science and Medical Industry. London: Macmillan Press.Google Scholar
Temin, P. (1980) Taking Your Medicine . Drug Regulation in the United States. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Waldinger, M. D., Hengeveld, M. H. & Zwinderman, A. H. (1994) Paroxetine treatment of premature ejaculation: a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 1377–1379.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.