Querying the Use of Seroquel: Practice Considerations for Youth Substance Use Service Providers

Abstract

This review and analysis of the practice of using Seroquel, chemical name quetiapine, an atypical antipsychotic medication, with youth in substance use treatment follows from concerns raised by Vancouver non-physician counsellors about the apparent sharp rise of off-label (unapproved) use of Seroquel. Reviewed are contextual factors surrounding the practice of prescribing Seroquel to youth in substance use treatment with the aim of providing useful insight for non-physician counsellors in their therapeutic practice. Literature on youth and substance use treatment in B.C. including historical, cultural, professional, and contextual factors is reviewed and synthesized, culminating in a set of options for a best practices review.