According to a draft report put together by congressional investigators, it turns out that federal regulators need about seven months to issue the appropriate warning when discovering drug companies that release medication prescriptions for uses other than those previously approved.

Besides the seven months it takes for the warning to be delivered, it takes an additional four months for the problem to be solved. Obviously enough, in almost one entire year, a great deal of drugs can be ordered.

The Government Accountability Office’s report addresses a rather delicate situation, which concerns the entire medical practice field. Using drugs for conditions that are not mentioned within the medication’s description, although apparently inexplicable, is quite a common practice and goes by the name of "off-label" prescribing.

Taking such drugs can sometimes have good effects on one’s health state; however, it can also do a lot of harm. Another case, perhaps equally bad to some, is when the drugs have no effect and they simply waste money.

The situation is maintained due to the lack of compatibility between some of the current health laws. While companies can’t promote drugs for conditions that hadn’t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), doctors to have the right to prescribe medicines using their own judgment and past experiences.

According to the review, Sen. Charles Grassley said the FDA is not appropriately equipped to identify and sanction abuses done by drug companies. Most importantly, the agency does not include a specialized department that would exclusively monitor the activity of such companies.