off label
Beyond approved uses
Off label describes the use of a medication or medical device for a purpose other than what regulatory agencies have approved.
A drug approved for depression might be prescribed off label for chronic pain.
The practice is legal and common—physicians can prescribe based on emerging evidence or clinical experience: Doctors often use this drug off label to treat migraines.
Also spelled off-label.
Not officially permitted
- prescriptionMedical dispensing authorization
- dosageMeasured medicine amount
- indicationSign of what's coming
- contraindicationReason to avoid treatment
FDA · pharmaceutical · drug · treatment · therapy · physician · clinical · efficacy
Not officially permitted
- unregulatedNot controlled by rules
- noncompliantFailing to conform
- unauthorizedNot officially permitted
- prohibitedOfficially not permitted
illicit · risky · liability · malpractice · negligence · violation · unlicensed · questionable
Controlled health research experiments
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
- pilot studySmall preliminary research trial
- investigationalUnder formal testing
- exploratorySeeking to discover
pioneering · novel · frontier · laboratory · validation · scientific inquiry · investigative · unproven
Converted to new use
- secondaryLesser in rank
- unintendedNot done on purpose
- unconventionalDeparting from standard practice
- nontraditionalDeparting from established norms
creative · innovative · unexpected · ancillary · supplementary · adjunct · workaround · improvised
unapproved
Not officially permitted
- prescriptionMedical dispensing authorization
- dosageMeasured medicine amount
- indicationSign of what's coming
contraindication · FDA · pharmaceutical · drug · treatment · therapy · physician · clinical · efficacy · patient
unsanctioned
Not officially permitted
- unregulatedNot controlled by rules
- noncompliantFailing to conform
- unauthorizedNot officially permitted
prohibited · illicit · risky · liability · malpractice · negligence · violation · unlicensed · questionable · controversial
clinical trials
Controlled health research experiments
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
- pilot studySmall preliminary research trial
- investigationalUnder formal testing
exploratory · pioneering · novel · frontier · laboratory · validation · scientific inquiry · investigative · unproven · untested
repurposed
Converted to new use
- secondaryLesser in rank
- unintendedNot done on purpose
- unconventionalDeparting from standard practice
nontraditional · creative · innovative · unexpected · ancillary · supplementary · adjunct · workaround · improvised · resourceful
off labellabeled
Marked for identification
approved · sanctioned · authorized · indicated · licensed
off labelas directed
recommended · by the book · indicated · orthodox · standard
off, label, offing, offset, offshoot, offshore, offspring, labeled, labeling