Unlicensed and off-label medicines

Private menopause clinics prescribing oestrogen at ‘twice the recommended dose’

Exclusive: Experts have raised concerns over "unorthodox" prescribing of HRT that may put women at a greater risk of cancer.…

Compassionate medicine schemes help patients with cancer live better and for longer — why are they not more widely used?

Use of unlicensed or off-label medicines for patients with cancer can extend survival or improve quality of life, but access remains patchy.…

The role of pharmacists in increasing patient access to ‘compassionate use’ programmes

Pharmacists should be helping to ensure that 'compassionate use' regulations evolve to address urgent patient needs.…

Prescribing of cannabis-based medical products increased almost ten-fold in 2021

Despite the increase in the private healthcare sector, data on the number of cannabis-based medical products prescribed on the NHS were so low they could not be reported.…

Antidepressant treatment could assist weight loss

Off-label fluoxetine may help overweight and obese people to lose weight, but the evidence supporting this is limited, the authors of a Cochrane review have concluded.…

Alzheimer’s drug reduces illicit opioid use in methadone recipients

People who take methadone use fewer illicit opioids when galantamine is added to their therapy, research shows.…

Bulk shipment of medical cannabis delivered to UK

What is thought to be the first bulk shipment of medical cannabis brought into the UK was delivered on 14 February 2019.…

Government drugs advisory body to review impact of medical cannabis reschedule

The Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs has been asked by the Home Office to begin a long-term review into cannabis-based products for medical use.…

Limited evidence for use of gabapentinoids to treat chronic low back pain

Analysis of randomised controlled trials assessing the use of gabapentinoids for chronic low back pain confirms that evidence on their use is limited and the drug should be used with caution. …

How to identify and manage ‘problem’ excipients in medicines for children

Children may be exposed to potentially harmful excipients, essential components of drug formulations, through unlicensed and off-label use of adult medicines. Excipient exposure should be minimised, although a medicine containing a problem excipient may be indicated, but only after a caref…