Kids Being Prescribed Powerful Antipsychotic Drugs.

Tweet Very scary article about the prescription of "atypical" drugs to children as young as 3 yrs. old. Pharmaceutical companies are pushing these things (shock!). Portion below; whole article here: http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/29/Worldandnation/The__atypical__dilemm.shtml

"Initially billed as wonder drugs with few significant side effects, evidence is mounting that they can cause rapid weight gain, diabetes, even death.

"They're also expensive. On average last year, it cost Medicaid nearly $1,800 for each child on atypical antipsychotics. In the last seven years, the cost to taxpayers for atypical antipsychotics prescribed to children in Florida jumped nearly 500 percent, from $4.7-million to $27.5-million.

"Medicaid and insurance companies have fed the problem, encouraging the use of psychiatric drugs as they reimburse less and less for labor-intensive psychotherapy and occupational therapy.

"Another factor: Doctors have been influenced by pharmaceutical companies, which have aggressively marketed atypicals.

"Whatever the reasons for the soaring use of psychiatric drugs in children, things have gotten out of whack, according to Dr. Ronald Brown. Last year he headed an American Psychological Association committee that looked into the issue.

"'The bottom line is that the use of psychiatric medications far exceeds the evidence of safety and effectiveness," Brown said.

"'What people need to do is what's in the best interest of children instead of what's in the best interest of people's pocketbooks. But children don't vote."

Found on Whateverhappened.com