This is the reason a drug, therapy, surgery or other intervention is recommended or prescribed by a doctor. A sign, symptom, condition, or combination of these is the indication for a particular drug or intervention. For example, diabetes is an indication for insulin; insulin is indicated in people with diabetes. Labelled indications are those for which the FDA has officially approved a drug for a specific use. Off-label indications are uses of a drug that has been FDA-approved, but not for the purpose it’s being used for. For example, some drugs approved for diabetes also can help with weight loss. They might be prescribed off-label for weight loss in someone who does not have diabetes. Other examples include many types of anticonvulsant drugs approved for epilepsy but which may be prescribed off-label for certain psychiatric conditions.
