Indication (medicine)

In medicine, an indication is a valid reason to use a certain test, medication, procedure, or surgery.^[1] There can be multiple indications to use a procedure or medication.^[2] An indication can commonly be confused with the term diagnosis. A diagnosis is the assessment that a particular medical condition is present while an indication is a reason for use.^[3] The opposite of an indication is a contraindication,^[4] a reason to withhold a certain medical treatment because the risks of treatment clearly outweigh the benefits.

In the United States, indications for prescription drugs are approved by the FDA. Indications are included in the Indications and Usage section of the Prescribing Information. The primary role of this section of labeling is to enable health care practitioners to readily identify appropriate therapies for patients by clearly communicating the drug's approved indication(s). The Indications and Usage section states the disease or condition, or manifestation or symptoms thereof, for which the drug is approved, as well as whether the drug is indicated for the treatment, prevention, mitigation, cure, relief, or diagnosis of that disease or condition. Additionally, the Indications and Usage section should contain the approved age groups as well as other information necessary to describe appropriate use (e.g., identifying the indicated patient/disease subgroups, stating if adjunctive therapy is required).