Should you use a drug off label?

If your doctor prescribes you some medication, you probably think its going to work, right? A new study suggests that may not be the case.

More and more physicians are prescribing drugs off label without evidence the drug will work. And according to a paper in the December issue of Pharmacotherapy some of the most common drugs used off label, are in need of additional study to determine whether they are safe and effective.

When a doctor prescribes a drug off label, that means it is being used to treat a disease or medical condition different from the one for which it was approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration.   For example, some doctors prescribe the anti-depressant Zoloft for bipolar disorder even though it has not been approved for treating it.  Taking a drug off label isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there are some questions you should ask your doctor before picking up your prescription.

Is this off-label? Your doctor may not always tell you up front.

Is there proof that it works? There may be some scientific proof behind it or your doctor could just be going out on a limb! If he can't give you an answer, it's OK to insist he does.  And if the answer doesn't satisfy you, ask about other treatment alternatives.

What are the side effects? Have your doctor's office check beforehand whether your insurance will pick up the tab for the off label drug.  Often, insurance companies will deny those claims.

For more information on how to be an Empowered Patient check out my column at CNN.com/empoweredpatient