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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
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Abstract

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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

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