Antipsychotic prescriptions for people aged 20 and younger rose sixfold from 1993-2002. Mark Olfson, MD, MPH, and colleagues report that news in June's issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. Olfson works in New York at Columbia University's psychiatry department.
Most of those prescriptions were for second-generation antipsychotic drugs -- such as Clozaril, Risperdal, Zyprexa, and Seroquel -- which the FDA hasn't approved for pediatric use, Olfson's team notes.
"There has been a sharp national increase in antipsychotic treatment among children and adolescents in office-based practices," write Olfson and colleagues.
"Second-generation antipsychotics are being widely prescribed, and emerging empirical evidence provides a base of support that is limited to short-term safety and efficacy," the researchers add.
Then and Now
Data came from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys. The numbers only include office-based visits, not visits to community mental health centers or outpatient clinics.
According to the study, there were about 201,000 office-based visits for youths aged 20 and younger that involved antipsychotic treatment in 1993. That number rose to 1,224,000 in 2002.
Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs
# posted by Network @ 11:26 AM
