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Many Prescription Drugs Unproven, Untested

The American Medical Association estimates that 40-60% of the 2.1 billion prescriptions written last year were prescribed to treat conditions for which they were not approved or, in many cases, were not even tested.

Writing prescriptions for conditions the drug has not been approved or tested for is called “off-labeling” described by some as controversial at best, dangerous at worst. An example? 200,000 children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are being prescribed clonidine, an adult high blood pressure drug.

Dr. Richard Greene, director of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) says, “The public is shocked when they learn that there isn't a shred of evidence for a lot of medical therapies. They just can't believe their doctor is doing things that they couldn't back up.