Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics
-
In paediatric pharmacotherapy, many drugs are prescribed to be given in ways and for conditions not approved in the marketing authorization (MA). Thus, off-label prescribing of drugs with no MA is widespread in paediatric wards. However, drug MA status and clinical practices differ across countries. In this prospective study, we studied the prescribing of off-label and unlicensed drugs in three paediatric wards in a tertiary hospital in Finland. Furthermore, we reviewed previous published studies to provide an up-to-date international perspective on prescribing of off-label and unlicensed drugs for hospitalized children. ⋯ This study indicates that the use of off-label and unlicensed drugs is widespread in all the different paediatric wards surveyed and was as extensive as those reported for other countries.