Doctors routinely prescribe drugs to hospitalized children that have not been tested on children, according to a new study by the U.S. Pharmacopeia. About 12% of the children taking such medications suffer harmful effects.

Researchers with Pharmacopeia, an agency that sets drug industry standards, reviewed records of 11,000 medical errors from 500 hospitals between 1998 and 2005. The errors involved 700 different drugs, causing 165 harmful effects  including the death of one child.

In another study of 31 children's hospitals for the year 2004, 79% of the hospitalized children received "off label" drugs or those that had not been tested on pediatric patients.

Only a small number of drugs are tested on children, because it is not required by law. Children with bi-polar disorder, conduct disorder, autism and other conditions routinely take "off label" drugs.

Labels: medications, research, hospitals

Posted By: Aspen Education Group