What is off-label prescribing?

As a result of a growing body of robust clinical and research findings showing the therapeutic value of ketamine for treating various psychiatric disorders, more and more medical professionals are prescribing this medication to patients off-label to treat depression, anxiety, and more. 

Off-label prescribing is when a physician prescribes a patient an FDA-approved drug for a different condition than what the medication is officially approved for. This practice is both legal and widespread - in the US, 1 in 5 of all prescriptions are written for off-label use.

When a drug is approved by the FDA, it usually is indicated as a treatment for a very specific disease or condition. However, once a medication is approved, physicians are able to prescribe it for other purposes they believe to be medically appropriate based on their clinical judgment.