whether it's legal to prescribe against a contraindication or a black box warning

October 2007

We're getting questions on whether it's legal to prescribe against a contraindication or a black box warning.

It is...but your liability risk can increase.

Lawyers interpret "contraindication" to mean that the risk of using a drug in a particular situation generally outweighs the therapeutic benefit.

Get concise, unbiased advice for effective drug therapy, plus CE/CME

Prescriber's Letter includes:

12 issues every year, with brief articles about new meds and guidelines
48+ CE courses, including the popular CE-in-the-Letter
Quick reference drug comparison charts
Access to the entire archive

Subscribe Today!

Already a subscriber? Log in

Volume pricing available. Get a quote

Table of Contents

whether it's legal to prescribe against a contraindication or a black box warning
Antithrombotics whether patients should undergo genetic testing to determine their warfarin dose
Cardiology blood pressure should be controlled before starting daily aspirin
Asthma New NIH guidelines will improve asthma treatment
Infectious Diseases deaths due to combining ceftriaxone (Rocephin) with calcium
Dermatology whether a rash could be caused by a drug and what to do about it
Pediatrics about the best way to check for fever
Psychiatry whether it makes sense to use pregabalin and gabapentin TOGETHER for pain or seizures
Psychiatry Some people are abusing Seroquel (quetiapine)
Vaccines when to avoid live vaccines
Neurology & Pain Fentanyl patches (Duragesic, etc) are causing deaths
Women's Health Evista will be used more to reduce the risk of breast cancer