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Use of Antipsychotics For Kids Soars

Payments to psychiatrists from the drugs' makers soar at the same time

By Sam Gale Rosen, Newser Staff

Posted May 10, 2007 10:23 AM CDT

(Newser) – The Times tackles the growing use of antipsychotic drugs in children, contentious because the drugs are risky and have no approved use for minors. But the trend is also questionable because it coincides with increasing payments to psychiatrists by the companies that market the drugs. In Minnesota, these payments rose sixfold from 2000 to 2005.

A study in that state shows that doctors who accept money from the makers of the drugs—which include Risperdal, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Abilify and Geodon—are much more likely to prescribe them, even to children. Direct payments to doctors to prescribe individual drugs are illegal, but large payments to the doctors for lectures on the benefits of those drugs are not.

Bottles of prescription medications move along a production line at Medco Health Solutions, Inc.'s Willingboro Dispensing Pharmacy in this Feb. 28, 2006 file photo in Willingboro, N.J. Medco Health Solutions... (Associated Press)

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Use of Antipsychotics For Kids Soars

Payments to psychiatrists from the drugs' makers soar at the same time

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Psych Drugs Drove Kid Crazy

Careless prescriptions turned shy chess nerd into into belligerent hulk

Doctors Paid Millions To Use Anemia Drugs

Among the world's top-selling medicines, the FDA now says they may be unsafe

Depression Causes Preemies

Depression is more dangerous before the baby is born, researchers say

ADD Meds Prescribed For Weight Loss

Doctors are using Adderall for pediatric obesity, pleasing parents but raising ethical alarms

More and More Toddlers Prescribed Antipsychotics

Do 18-month-olds need extreme psychiatric medicine?

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Use of Antipsychotics For Kids Soars

Payments to psychiatrists from the drugs' makers soar at the same time

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

medicine • psychiatry • drug companies • antipsychotic drugs • children • safety

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Psych Drugs Drove Kid Crazy

Careless prescriptions turned shy chess nerd into into belligerent hulk

Doctors Paid Millions To Use Anemia Drugs

Among the world's top-selling medicines, the FDA now says they may be unsafe

Depression Causes Preemies

Depression is more dangerous before the baby is born, researchers say

ADD Meds Prescribed For Weight Loss

Doctors are using Adderall for pediatric obesity, pleasing parents but raising ethical alarms

More and More Toddlers Prescribed Antipsychotics

Do 18-month-olds need extreme psychiatric medicine?

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

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More News

What is Newser?