Off-label uses… the Windex of the medical field?
You’ve heard the term, “cure-all”, I’m sure, but as we all know, there is no real “cure-all” in life. If you ever watched the movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, then you are all too familiar with the father of the bride who believes that Windex is the “cure-all” for everything. As he states in the movie, “from psoriasis to poison ivy, put some Windex on it!” Windex, however is not a magic potion. It is simply intended for cleaning windows, mirrors, glass shower doors, glass top stoves and more as stated on their website. In fact, Windex in high concentrations can be very caustic, because it contains ammonia! Maybe the father of the bride should have done some research before promoting Windex’s unapproved uses!
In the medical field, doctors, like the father of the bride in the movie, use many products for unapproved uses. In our industry, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that medical devices, drugs, biologics and combination products be used according to its labeling of approved (or “on- label”) uses. Oftentimes, however, doctors end up using products for “off-label” use. With this FDA requirement, how is it that doctors are able to use these products for unapproved uses? Read more »