Off-label use of atypical antipsychotics: Lack of evidence for their use in primary insomnia.

QUETIAPINE; ANESTHESIA; ANTIPSYCHOTIC agents; DRUG prescribing; INSOMNIA; MEDICAL protocols; HEALTH outcome assessment; PHYSICIAN practice patterns; TREATMENT effectiveness; OFF-label use (Drugs); THERAPEUTICS

Atypical antipsychotics are some of the most commonly prescribed psychotropic medications in the United States. There is increasing off-label use despite lack of evidence to support it in some of these medical or psychiatric conditions. One of these growing uses is for the management of primary insomnia. This article discusses the literature on using atypical antipsychotics for managing primary sleep disturbances. Much of the research targeting insomnia is related to using antipsychotics for comorbid psychiatric or medical problems and secondary sleep complaints. For pharmacologic management of primary insomnia in the absence of other psychiatric or neurologic conditions for which atypical agents are helpful, other hypnotic agents should be tried. More research is required before expanding the prescribing of antipsychotics for insomnia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]