Drug Safety Issues: Risks
"The problem of prescription overdose in the military has its parallel in civilian life. The tragic overdose victims in both spheres represent canaries in the coal mine–only the most obvious victims of what has become our national orgy of over using psychotropic drugs." Allen Frances MD
If mentally incapacitated troops are being drugged with dangerous, mind-altering drugs and deployed to battle against their will, how can we say that we have a volunteer army?
"Our systems of mental health care have become too medication focused, and it’s time for a broader approach. History will show that this national shift began this weekend in Portland, Oregon.”
*More antipsychotic treatment was associated with smaller gray matter volumes. Progressive decrement in white matter volume was most evident among patients who received more antipsychotic treatment.
"House Bill 23 hits a rare political sweet spot. The proposal to create an independent clinic review of the drugs foster children are given has support from Democrats and Republicans because of its efforts to protect the vulnerable — and projections that it will save the state millions of dollars."…
New FDA antipsychotic Warnings: "The symptoms of EPS and withdrawal in newborns may include agitation, abnormally increased or decreased muscle tone, tremor, sleepiness, severe difficulty breathing, and difficulty in feeding."
Vaccines are legally classified as "unavoidably unsafe"–an indication that they pose an inherent risk. Vaccines have not been subjected to scientifically rigorous placebo controlled safety trials before they have been approved for use in children. The public debate over vaccine safety has intensified as a continuing stream of news reports…
Overall in the 2nd quarter of 2010, the FDA received 33,068 domestic reports of serious injury, disability or death associated with drug therapy–an increase of 12% from the same quarter one year ago.
Panel Chairman Thomas G. Brott, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, said he was amazed that essentially no research had been done on ECT’s effects using functional MRI imaging, repeated brain wave (EEG) studies, or autopsy examinations of patients.
At the end of today’s hearings, an FDA advisory panel will issue recommendations about whether manufacturers of electroconvulsive devices must put their devices to rigorous safety tests or whether they should be reclassified from Class III (high risk) to Class II (moderate risk)> Below are critical comments by Professor John…
"Despite ongoing controversy, there has never been a large-scale, prospective study of the cognitive effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)." Dr. Harold Sackeim, et al, 2007.
"Prescription Drugs Associated with Reports of Violence Towards Others, " identifies 31 drugs linked to 1,527 acts of violence…
