ABSTRACT

More and more drugs are developed each year aimed at treating specific conditions and symptoms. They are becoming increasingly sophisticated in terms of their effects on particular receptor systems and as a result have generally more specific effects and are safer drugs than their older equivalents. They are being used increasingly in children and adolescents despite the fact that many drugs have not been specifically investigated in this age group which requires the clinician to prescribe off-licence. This can have the effect of making the doctor feel uncertain, although the actual purpose of a licence is to limit the claims that a pharmaceutical company can make rather than limit the clinician’s ability to prescribe. It also means that the art of prescribing in this age group relies on the extrapolation of data from adult studies.