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America’s Overmedicated Children – Vera Sherav

AMERICA’S OVERMEDICATED CHILDREN By Vera Sharav YOUTH and MEDICINES in June 1-3, 2005 KILEN: Consumers Institute for Medicines and Health SWEDEN “Forgotten Children” is an investigative report by Carole Keeton Strayhorn,[1] the Texas Comptroller (2004) who uncovered evidence that 60% of children in the Texas foster care system are being…

America’s Overmedicated Children, Presentation by Vera Sharav, Sweden

“Forgotten Children” is an investigative report by Carole Keeton Strayhorn,[1] the Texas Comptroller (2004) who uncovered evidence that 60% of children in the Texas foster care system are being drugged with powerful psychotropic drugs, most of which have not been tested in or approved for use by children. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledges that many of these drugs have serious adverse side effects, both physical and psychological. The Comptroller said she was alarmed that in her review of a single month (November 2003), two powerful antipsychotic drugs — Risperdal and Zyprexa — made up half of the drugs prescribed to foster children in Texas. These two drugs have been approved only for adults for the treatment of psychosis – primarily schizophrenia – yet, she found that children as young as four, were receiving these powerful, mind-altering drugs.

UK Pharma Association Displaying Acute Anxiety / FDA approves Focalin XR for ADHD

UK Pharma Association Displaying Acute Anxiety / FDA approves Focalin XR for ADHD Tue, 14 Jun 2005 The good news is that British physicians are taking a more cautious approach and cutting down on their prescribing of drugs whose adverse side effects often do more harm than good. But the…

Statement of the AHRP Opposing the SACHRP Children’s Committee Recommendations

THE ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION (AHRP) www.ahrp.org Proposed Changes to Subpart D Regulations Increase Risks to Children in Non-Therapeutic Research Statement of the AHRP Opposing the SACHRP Children’s Committee Recommendations April 18, 2005 The Alliance for Human Research Protection (AHRP) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the question “What…

Statement of the AHRP Opposing the SACHRP Children’s Committee Recommendations

The Alliance for Human Research Protection (AHRP) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the question “What is the Best Way to Protect Children?”

Our recommendation – which is backed up by evidence that children have suffered harm in medical research – is to significantly limit the discretion of IRBs to approve greater than minimal risk research without direct benefit for the child-subjects under 46.406.

We recommend staying the course in requiring that any such proposed experiment undergo a transparent open evaluation with ample opportunity for public oversight and comment – as required under the provisions of 46.407.

Children’s Mental Health in the 108th Congress: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Children’s Mental Health in the 108th Congress: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Wed, 15 Dec 2004 AHRP board member, Dr. Karen Effrem, provides a succinct overview of actions – the good, the bad, and the ugly–taken by the 108th Congress will have an impact on children’s health and…

US Epidemic: Controlled Prescription Drug Abuse–Teen Drug Abuse Triples in 10 Years – CASA

US Epidemic: Controlled Prescription Drug Abuse–Teen Drug Abuse Triples in 10 Years_CASA Sat, 9 Jul 2005 “Our nation is in the throes of an epidemic of controlled prescription drug abuse and addiction,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA’s chairman and president and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare….

Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest: Profits vs Safety Congressional Investigations US Senators Pharmaceutical industry holdings, 2004: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/SenPharma.pdf Oct 12: How Did the Vioxx Debacle Happen? USA Today / Lancet Oct 4: Op Ed: Psychiatry on the Ropes–WP / Evidence-based Psychiatry Oct 3: BBC PANORAMA TONIGHT – Taken on Trust – 13 years-Medical…

Associated Press: More Details about FDA Warning Strattera Associated with Suicide

Associated Press: More Details about FDA Warning Strattera Associated with Suicide Thu, 29 Sep 2005 On April 26, 2004, we wrote: “The Alliance for Human Research Protection is concerned that children who are prescribed the failed antidepressant, Strattera, may be exposed to undisclosed serious risks of harm. FDA’s-approved label states:…

TIME – Medicating Young Minds with Mood / Behavior Altering Drugs

TIME – Medicating Young Minds with Mood / Behavior Altering Drugs Sat, 1 Nov 2003 A TIME magazine cover story (excerpt below) looks at the inordinate popularity of prescribing mood altering psychotropic drugs for children begins to raise troubling questions about the specter of doing long-term harm to children. Doctors…

A growing Crisis: Aggressive Marketing of drugs for children – Lou Dobbs-CNN

A growing Crisis: Aggressive Marketing of drugs for children_Lou Dobbs-CNN Fri, 3 Oct 2003 CNN’s anchor Lou Dobbs, an astute business journalist whose program Lou Dobbs Tonight on CNN examines politics, the economy and a broad range of issues that affect the quality of life and standard of living of…