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Previous Volume 358:1427-1429 April 3, 2008 Number 14 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides a barrier to market entry and use of unproven and unsafe products. For prescription drugs, the FDA approval process requires substantial evidence of efficacy and safety for specific clinical situations. Although approval is indication-specific, the FDA has a limited role once a drug is on the market. Recent draft guidelines covering manufacturers' promotion of drugs through the distribution of journal articles suggest that the FDA is moving toward an even more minimal role.¹

Although off-label prescribing — the prescription of a medication in a manner different from that approved by the FDA — . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Source Information

Dr. Stafford is an associate professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, Program on Prevention Outcomes and Practices, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.

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