Florida To Review Antipsychotic Guidelines For Kids
5 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // May 30th, 2008 // 9:11 am
A recently named state panel will meet next month to discuss changing state guidelines on paying for antipsychotic drugs for children, The Daytona Beach News Journal reports. At stake is the future treatment of more than 18,000 children in Florida currently receiving atypical antipsychotics medication for conditions ranging from ADHD to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, the paper writes.
The number of children in the Florida Medicaid program prescribed the powerful drugs has nearly doubled from 9,364 kids in 2000 to 18,137 in 2006, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported in January. Among those children, the most common primary diagnosis was ADHD, an ailment not approved for treatment with antipsychotics by the FDA.
Current state guidelines indicate that Medicaid will pay for a drug only if it is “medically necessary and prescribed for medically accepted indications,” the paper writes.
Lisa Cosgrove, a pediatrician who is a member of the review group and committee, says she will rely on a state-funded study by the Medicaid Drug Therapy Management Program for Behavioral Health at the University of South Florida when making recommendations. “It’s a good baseline model to follow,” she tells the paper.
During that 2005 study, a panel of experts recommended that antipsychotics (some of these drugs include: Risperdal, Seroquel, Zyprex, Abilify and Geodon) should not be used primarily to target ADHD, nor should antipsychotics be given to children younger than age 6 except under the most extraordinary circumstances
James
Hi Ed,
do you have information on who will be on this panel, and what their affiliations are, vis-a-vis “anti” pharma companies and groups? Have any of them received payments, been employed by, published papers in, spoken on behalf of or before, or in any way associated themselves with regulatory agencies, medical research centers, public interest groups, political organizations, or companies that could benefit from or be harmed by changes in reimbursement procedures?
Obviously, you aren’t going to have this information at your fingertips. But will you keep an eye out for any information on this, as, while I know many are interested in those who receive payments from pharma companies, I would like to know the affiliations these folks have to the “other side”?
zzz
Great idea James. We all want to know who work to stop children being poisoned. Please Ed, if you comply with James request, include the list of those who find their academic freedom and their future career is curtailed while they do so.
That doesn’t happen for pharma profiteers who agree with drugging young minds of course, so that makes the job easier.
zzz
Here’s one man who doesn’t profit from protecting children.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/108816.php
zzz
He’s not “anti” pharma. He prescribes drugs CAREFULLY.
Edward Eaton
Great article on “Antipsychotic Guidelines For Kids”. I liked your article. Silverman, we all want to know how to stop children from being poisoned. Its very sad the number of children in the Florida Medicaid program are prescribed for the powerful drugs. After reading this article i feel very concerned and your article has also given me a lot of information on Antipsychotic Guidelines.
———————————-
Edward Eaton
Florida Drug Rehab
Florida Drug Rehab