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Supply problems of unlicensed and off-label medicines after discharge.

Wong IC, Basra N, Yeung VW, Cope J

Centre for Paediatric Pharmacy Research, The School of Pharmacy, Institute of Child Health, University of London and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK . ian.wong@pharmacy.ac.uk

A total of 709 unlicensed and off-label medicines were prescribed for 338 patients discharged from a paediatric hospital between 1 November 2003 and 31 January 2004. Thirty three per cent of patients had difficulty obtaining these medications in primary care which caused treatment disruption. The main problems were: (1) community pharmacies being unable to supply; and (2) GPs' refusal to prescribe.

Published 24 July 2006 in Arch Dis Child, 91(8): 686-8.
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