Off-label drug use in pediatrics. Literature review

Abstract

At present, due to the accumulated developments in pharmacology and pharmacotherapy, there is a huge variety of drugs for the effective treatment and prevention of many common diseases. This makes it possible to control and manage many pathological conditions. However, each drug should be comprehensively studied, as well as its systemic action, side effects, toxicity, effect when interacting with other drugs, and especially when it accumulates in the body, must be taken into account. There are groups of patients in which clinical trials of drugs are difficult and limited. These are pregnant women, children, and newborns, especially premature ones. A serious deterrent is both severe economic restrictions and ethical issues, such as the protection of the rights of minors and the negative attitude of society towards clinical trials as «experiments on people».