Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift für Dermatologie, Venerologie, und verwandte Gebiete
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More than 2,000 different types of disease entities are treated in dermatology. Even for some of the more commonly occurring diseases there is no explicitly approved medication. Further limitations in the approval status can be found for skin diseases in children and adolescents, in pregnancy and with multiple comorbidities. Therefore, for medical and ethical reasons in many dermatological treatment situations prescription of medications off label is necessary. Against the background of the difficult formal and legal framework conditions for off-label prescription, knowledge of the regulations on off-label use is essential for dermatologists. ⋯ Prescriptions for off-label use are an integral component of qualified dermatological treatment. Despite regulatory and legal hurdles off-label use can be implemented with knowledge of the juridical and formal conditions.