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
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) is a mental health disorder that affects children and adolescents. It is characterized by severe and recurrent temper outbursts and persistent irritability. In this assignment, we will recommend an FDA-approved drug, an off-label drug, and a nonpharmacological intervention for treating DMDD in children and adolescents, while taking into account the risks and benefits of each treatment option.
1. Recommend one FDA-approved drug, one off-label drug, and one nonpharmacological intervention for treating DMDD in children and adolescents.
For DMDD, an FDA-approved drug option is Risperidone, which is an atypical antipsychotic medication. An off-label drug option is Divalproex Sodium, which is a mood stabilizer medication. A non-pharmacological intervention option is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is a type of talk therapy focused on identifying and changing negative thought patterns.
2. 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?
When making treatment decisions for DMDD, it is important to assess the risks and benefits of each treatment option. Risperidone has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing temper outbursts and irritability in children and adolescents with DMDD, but it may also cause side effects such as weight gain, sleepiness, and movement problems. Divalproex Sodium may also effectively stabilize mood, but it carries the risk of liver and blood problems, as well as birth defects if used during pregnancy. CBT has been shown to be effective in improving mood regulation, but it requires significant time and effort commitment from both the patient and the therapist.
3. 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.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has published practice parameters for the assessment and treatment of DMDD. These guidelines recommend the use of antipsychotic medication or other mood stabilizers, as well as psychosocial interventions such as CBT. Therefore, our recommendations for Risperidone, Divalproex Sodium, and CBT align with these practice parameters. However, it is important to consider individual patient factors and preferences when making treatment decisions, as well as monitoring for side effects and effectiveness of the chosen treatment.
