Observational studyIndian journal of pharmacology2026
A prospective observational study on the off-label use of medications in the psychiatry outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital.
Observational study in Indian journal of pharmacology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOff-label prescribing - using medications outside their approved indications, doses, or populations - is common in psychiatry, with Indian studies estimating a prevalence of 30%-40%. Despite this, data on prescribing patterns and associated factors remain limited.
aimThis study aimed to assess the prevalence, pattern, and demographic factors associated with off-label prescribing in a psychiatric outpatient setting. The specific objectives included identifying common psychiatric conditions linked to off-label use and its correlation with patient age.
methodsA prospective, cross-sectional, and observational study was conducted over 3 months in the psychiatry outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital after ethics approval. Data on demographics, clinical history, and prescriptions were collected using a predesigned pro forma. Off-label status was determined using the National Formulary of India (NFI, 6th edition, 2021) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organization records. The Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.
resultsAmong 500 patients (mean age 40.74 ± 15.49 years), 1197 drugs were prescribed, of which 417 (34.83%) were off-label. Clonazepam (40.28%) and lorazepam (15.35%) were the most frequently used off-label drugs, followed by risperidone and propranolol (4.32%). Depressive disorder was the most common condition linked to off-label use. Off-label prescribing was highest (49.6%) in the 21-40 years' age group. Inappropriate indications were the most frequent reason for off-label use.
conclusionOff-label prescribing is prevalent in psychiatric practice, with benzodiazepines and antipsychotics commonly involved. These findings highlight the need for improved awareness and regulation.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.