TY - JOUR PY - 2015// TI - Off-label prescribing by psychiatrists: what is the practitioner's liability? JO - Journal of forensic sciences A1 - Bartoli, Christophe A1 - Berland-Benhaim, Caroline A1 - Sastre, Caroline A1 - Baillif-Couniou, Valérie A1 - Kintz, Pascal A1 - Léonetti, Georges A1 - Pélissier-Alicot, Anne-Laure SP - 1461 EP - 1466 VL - 60 IS - 6 N2 - In psychiatry, the molecules available and the dosages recommended when a drug receives marketing authorization are not always adequate to treat patients with major behavioral disturbances. Off-label prescribing is frequent in this context, with regard to the indications and the dosages given as well as to the drug combinations used. However, if complications or death occur, the practitioner's liability may be engaged. The authors report three deaths attributed to off-label prescribing in psychiatry and which led to charges against the physicians. They review the precautions to be taken when prescribing in such conditions (no other possible treatment, existence of sound scientific evidence, consent obtained from the patient, or their legal representatives except in cases of force majeure) and the physician's liability if adverse events occur that could be attributed to off-label prescribing.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0022-1198 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.12814 ID - ref1 ER -