Florida Antipsychotic Drugging of Young Children Plummets

Petition here: http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html

St. Petersburg Times
Approval process lowers the number of kids on atypical prescriptions.
By Kris Hundley
Sunday, March 29, 2009


Nudged by public pressure, Florida health officials took a baby step last year toward reining in the use of power­ful antipsychotic drugs among children: They began requiring that doctors get approval before giving these drugs to kids under 6 on the Medicaid program.

That simple step prompted a seismic change in doctors' prescribing habits.

The number of prescriptions of these potent drugs to kids in this age group plummeted nearly 75 percent.

Another dramatic change: Nearly 40 percent fewer doctors are even bothering to write prescriptions for these drugs — including Risperdal, Abilify, Seroquel and Zyprexa — apparently finding alternatives that require less paperwork.

David Cohen, a Florida International University professor who has long questioned the rampant use of the new generation of antipsychotics among kids, applauded the steep decline. He wonders why anyone prescribes these drugs.

"Viewing the increase over the past 10 years, I couldn't imagine that many preschoolers needed the most powerful drugs available on the planet,'' he said. "I think the change is great, but is it enough?"

Category:

Education

Tags:

• antipsychotic
• antipsychotics
• anti-psychotic
• anti-psychotics
• abilify
• geodon
• risperdal
• seroquel
• zyprexa

[poloniawarrior]

Now we must have investigations into the state and county child "protective" services who kidnap children from innocent parents, drug them, and keep them in state-run foster group homes for the profit of union employees and drug companies. FBI: do a conflict of interest investigation of juvenile ct. judges, social workers and psychiatrists!

[Zoeanne2004]

This is great news for the kids who will actually get to experience and remember their childhood instead of having it be a foggy blur. Great work, this needed throughout the U.S. Thank you to those who were brave enough to buck the system and make this happen. Keep up the good work!

[givemearandomnamenow]

This is wonderful news. Antipsychotics are HORRIBLE drugs.

[CocaineDrRockso]

florida is stupid... kids dont need drugs they need love but there to much of a police state to know that.

[stopHAARP]

This just means they'll increase ELECTROSHOCK for kids. they'll put the ELECTRODE IMPLANTS in kids, and SHOCK THEM, like they do at Judge Rotenberg Center. Believe it.

[telewebservices]

"A very powerful drugs"?

A very poisonous and lethal drugs they are,

Take it away from the children and start paying attention that is isn't good to adults either.

[transenigmatic]

Go Florida!

Looks like these drugs weren't so important after all, surprise surprise.

[wendy3711]

Amen.

[mofunnow]

So a 75% drop in the drugs...the drugs were not that important once the approval process went in to effect. So what's happening to the rest of the kids 7 and up?