New Jersey’s Attorney General And Antipsychotics
5 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // April 23rd, 2008 // 12:01 pm
Earlier this year, we noted that New Jersey’s Medicaid program spent more than $73 million on several antipsychotic meds for children less than 18 years old between 2000 and 2007, according to state records, even though the drugs weren’t approved by the FDA for treating kids. And a state official acknowledges the drugs may have been prescribed for conditions other than schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the approved uses.
And so a state legislator wrote New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram calling for an investigation. In his letter, Pat Diegnan, an assemblyman who has previously been outspoken about the use of these meds, asked Milgram to pursue an investigation of the “alleged misrepresentations concerning the safety and effectiveness of antipscychotic drugs,” which he first requested more than a year ago of her predecessor.
In an April 1 reply, Milgram writes back that New Jersey is part of a multi-state working group investigating the marketing of Lilly’s Zyprexa. To be specific, about 30 states are looking into the controversy over off-label promotion and the extent to which side effects, such as diabetes and weight gain, were hidden. But Milgram doesn’t mention any other drugmaker or their antipsychotics in her response. Does this mean the AG isn’t looking at the issue? Or simply doesn’t want to tip her hand? A spokesman declined to comment.
“Please be assured that this office remains committed to taking action appropriate when we learn of allegations of misrepresentations related to the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals,” Milgram wrote. To date, Milgram has created a task force to examine the interplay between drugmakers and docs, and has subpoeaned Merck, Schering-Plough and Amgen over marketing various meds.
LILLI
New Jersey is the capital of Pharmaceutical Companies. Federal and State elected and appointed officials are more concerned with interests possessing or controlling great wealth than the ethical health care of all. Pat Diegnan, an assemblyman maybe concerned, but all state officials allowed the corrupt 2004 Safety Patient Act that was not for the patients, but for the medical profession, healthcare industries, hospitals and pharmaceuticals. Everyone should read the provisions of Patient Safety Acts and the recent bills or task forces created by the federal and state governments.
The time has arrived that we must create a system and qualified management where doctors must report and document medication adverse side effects. All medications approved by FDA do not observe long term use. We must treat people as individuals and all medications does not always react the same, doctors must observe the differences with their patients. Health care should not be about money but qualified scrupulous unconditional care.
Margaret
I hope the thirty state AG Zyprexa group are seriously considering criminal as well as civil charges against Eli Lilly. It is one thing for the states to replenish their depleted Medicaid coffers. But what about justice for those who have died from this lethal drug whose side effects killed people? It is worth carefully reading the Zyprexa Papers on the blogsite furious seasons. The truth is plain to see.
Carolyn
For years “Racketeering” and “Insurance Fraud” has been taking place big time involving a number of psychiatrists.
The illegal use of the so-called mental health industry and the illegal use of the psychiatric drugs. Illegally demanding to use the psychaitric drugs for purposes not approved of by the FDA. The abusive and corrupt are robbing the insurance companies for thousands and thousands of dollars for abuse, brainwashing, and “Suicidal Programming”. I understand they have knowingly lied about the psychiatric drugs for years. All the abusinve and corrupt feel they have to do is to find an abusive and corrupt doctor/psychiatrist who will help make the ends justify the means. What is taking place has nothing to do with treating an illness. Much of it has nothing to do about saving one’s life. Not only are children being robbed of their souls but so are others. It is big time betrayal to the people and number of these doctors/psychiatrists do not value human life. Abusers are using corrupt psychiatrists in order to gain and keep control over another human being. They illegally demand that one should be obedient to them and be their slave or “Zombie”. Much of psychiatry is about “Bedlam”, money, power, control, greed, perks, and kickbacks. Psychiatry is Quackery, pseudo-science, mad doctoring, wicked witchcraft, con game. Thousands and thousands of dollars down the drain for nothing but attepted brainwashing, criminal and homicidal activity. Corrupt doctors, abusers, corrupt psychiatrists, corrupt officials, etc. demanding to be able to play God and decide who can live and who has to die.
Psychiatry is the dark side of medicine.
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Salmon
Ed,
A correction they are not generally approved for bipolar disorder in either children or adults.
If approved they are largely approved for the short term treatment of acute manic episodes (3 - 4 weeks) in adults (and adolescents) 12 or 13 - 17 yo with Bipolar I disorder, and in some cases for maintanence treatment but in actuality the labeling tends to indicate anything more than a few months is really offlabel use.
They are not approved for anyone for bipolar II disorder of bipolar spectrum disorder where most of the push for off-label pediatric use is.
Salmon