Off label or on trend: a review of the use of quetiapine in New Zealand
Mark Huthwaite, Marilyn Tucker, Lynn McBain, Sarah Romans
This paper reviews the use of quetiapine, a drug originally designed for the treatment of psychotic disorders and confirms previous New Zealand studies that quetiapine is largely being used off-label (ie, not for what it is currently approved for) and that there is a growing trend for it to be prescribed to exploit its sedating effects and mild calming effects in the lower dose range. While it is commonly accepted that prescribing off-label is at the prescriber s discretion, and not necessarily a bad thing to do, the authors conclude that when prescribing quetiapine for a non-approved condition, or to a specific clinical population (the elderly and the young), the thoughtful prescriber will carefully document not only the clinical rationale for this prescribing but also that they have discussed this with their patient. The authors also suggest that the respective medical colleges and other representative bodies may wish to develop guidelines for the non-approved prescribing of quetiapine to allow prescribers to prescribe in accordance with accepted practice and current best practice guidelines.
