Psychotropic Drug Prescription in Children and Adolescents: Approved Medications in European Countries and the United States

Objectives: The decision to prescribe a medication and the choice of which one are often complex, particularly in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry where evidence is scarce. The aim of this review is to provide a synthesis of psychotropic drugs approved in children and adolescents for psychiatric indications in several countries. Methods: All psychopharmacological treatments used in child and adolescent psychiatry, approved by at least one regulatory agency from Switzerland, the United Kingdom, France, the European Union, or the United States, were considered. A comprehensive review of the summaries of product characteristics was performed. Results: A total of 143 psychotropic drugs were included: 47 anxiolytics/hypnotics, 45 antidepressants, 37 antipsychotics, 10 medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 4 mood stabilizers. Only a few of these drugs were approved for use in children or adolescents (38%) at least for a single psychiatric diagnosis in at least one country. The therapeutic class with the lowest rate of approved status was antidepressants (20%), followed by mood stabilizers (25%), anxiolytics/hypnotics (28%), antipsychotics (57%), and medications for ADHD (100%). Important differences in approved diagnoses, ages, and doses were observed between regulatory agencies. Tables presenting drugs for approved diagnoses based on age and regulatory agencies are presented in this article. Drugs classified by regulatory agencies, with complete data on diagnoses, ages, doses, pharmaceutical forms, and particular restrictions, are presented as Supplementary Material. Conclusion: This article provides an overview to prescribers with respect to the approved medications in children and adolescents in selected European countries and the United States.