Assignment 1: Prescribing for Children and Adolescents
Off-label prescribing is when a physician gives you a drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to treat a condition different than your condition. This practice is legal and common. In fact, one in five prescriptions written today are for off-label use.
—Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
For this Assignment, you consider these questions and others as you explore FDA-approved (“on label”) pharmacological treatments, non-FDA-approved (“off-label”) pharmacological treatments, and nonpharmacological treatments for disorders in children and adolescents.
Reference:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2015). Off-label drugs: What you need to know. https://www.ahrq.gov/patients-consumers/patient-involvement/off-label-drug-usage.html
To Prepare
- Your Instructor will assign a specific disorder for you to research for this Assignment.
- Use the Walden library to research evidence-based treatments for your assigned disorder in children and adolescents. You will need to recommend one FDA-approved drug, one off-label drug, and one nonpharmacological intervention for treating this disorder in children and adolescents.
The Assignment (1–2 pages)
- Recommend one FDA-approved drug, one off-label drug, and one nonpharmacological intervention for treating your assigned disorder in children and adolescents.
- Explain the risk assessment you would use to inform your treatment decision making. What are the risks and benefits of the FDA-approved medicine? What are the risks and benefits of the off-label drug?
- Explain whether clinical practice guidelines exist for this disorder and, if so, use them to justify your recommendations. If not, explain what information you would need to take into consideration.
- Support your reasoning with at least three scholarly resources, one each on the FDA-approved drug, the off-label, and a non-medication intervention for the disorder. Attach the PDFs of your sources. Use this topic to write it
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
In this assignment, we will be discussing prescribing for children and adolescents, focusing on both FDA-approved and non-FDA approved treatments. Specifically, we will be examining a specific disorder that will be assigned by the instructor and conducting research using evidence-based treatments to recommend one FDA-approved drug, one off-label drug, and one nonpharmacological intervention for treating the assigned disorder. We will also be discussing the risk assessment involved in treatment decision making, clinical practice guidelines, and supporting our reasoning with scholarly resources.
Answer:
For the assigned disorder, which is ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), I recommend the following treatments:
1. FDA-approved drug: Risperidone
2. Off-label drug: Clonidine
3. Non-pharmacological intervention: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
In terms of risk assessment, when making a decision on which treatment to use, I would consider the potential side effects of each drug, as well as the benefits that they could provide. For instance, Risperidone has been found to be effective in reducing aggression and impulsivity in ADHD children, but it also comes with the risk of side effects such as weight gain, drowsiness, and extrapyramidal symptoms. Clonidine, on the other hand, is not FDA-approved for ADHD but has been found to be effective in reducing hyperactivity, impulsivity, and aggression. However, it too has risks such as changes in blood pressure and heart rate.
There are clinical practice guidelines available for the treatment of ADHD, which recommend the use of stimulants as the first-line pharmacological intervention. However, in cases where stimulants are not effective or there are intolerable side effects, non-stimulant medications, such as Risperidone or Clonidine, can be considered. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has also been found to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for ADHD, particularly in improving social skills and reducing disruptive behavior.
In conclusion, when treating ADHD in children and adolescents, it is important to consider the risks and benefits of each treatment option. FDA-approved drugs such as Risperidone can have significant side effects, and non-FDA-approved options such as Clonidine have risks as well. Cognitive-behavioral therapy provides a non-medication alternative that can be effective, particularly when combined with medication management. By weighing the risks and benefits of each treatment option and considering the available clinical practice guidelines, healthcare professionals can make informed decisions to help children and adolescents with ADHD.
