off-label

adjective

off-la·​bel ˈȯf-ˌlā-bəl 

: of, relating to, or being a drug used to treat a condition for which it has not been officially approved

Examples of off-label in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bar state and local governments from issuing public health guidelines that ban the prescribing of off-label drugs. —Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 22 Dec. 2024

Hospitals, in-patient facilities and the pharmacists working within them are also required to dispense drugs for off-label use during public health emergencies as part of the bill. —Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024

For pediatric care, physicians order at least one off-label drug in 18.5% of office visits. —John C. Goodman, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024

That’s why the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory regime often approves drugs only for some (on-label) uses and not for other (off-label) uses of the same substance. —The Editors, National Review, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

off-label

adjective

off-la·​bel ˌȯf-ˌlā-bəl 

: of, relating to, or being an approved drug legally prescribed or a medical device legally used by a physician for a purpose (as the treatment of children or of a certain disease or condition) for which it has not been specifically approved (as by the United States Food and Drug Administration)

the off-label use of oral contraceptives to treat dysmenorrhea