When Science Races: the Standard of Care and Medical Negligence in the Times of Covid-19

Abstract

Abstract When a new disease emerges, there are at first no specific medicinal products to treat it. This has also been the case in the Covid-19 pandemic. Scientists and health professionals have been trying to establish the best treatments possible using the already-existing medicines that are normally used for different indications. The off-label use of medicinal products is a standard part of medical practice. If it meets certain criteria, it is not contradictory to the standard of care. Nevertheless, the urgency of the pandemic situation brings about new issues. What amount of data on efficacy and safety should be considered sufficient to scientifically justify the off-label use of a particular medicine? How should health professionals reflect the rapid scientific developments and high levels of uncertainty in their clinical practice? How can be these factors influenced by the politicisation of medicine? The paper deals with the outlined questions in order to analyse and concretise the criteria for off-label use of medicinal product in the specific context of the Covid-19 pandemic.