Some think that off-label prescribing will diminish with the new Medicare drug plan
“Because of this restriction in the Medicare Modernization Act, indications that are supported in peer-reviewed medical literature but not yet approved by the FDA or accepted in one of the compendia are not ““medically accepted”” by Medicare. In such cases, the Medicare drug plans may not pay for the drug.

While this helps Medicare drug plans manage their financial exposure and allows them to crack down on inappropriate drug therapy, it also means that it’Â’ll be harder for physicians to identify valuable new uses of medications. As we loose this critically important path to expanding our evidence base, patients and the economy will suffer.”