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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.

SEC Focusing on Drug Makers Disclosure_ Continuing Medical Ed Changes

SEC Focusing on Drug Makers Disclosure_ Continuing Medical Ed Changes Tue, 28 Sep 2004 Evidence showing that drug manufacturers and the FDA concealed negative clinical trial data and deceived physicians, consumers, and shareholders about failure to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of SSRI antidepressant drugs has caught the interest of…

18% decrease SSRI use in Youth – NYT / Suicide Risk Not New – Globe / Prozac no different

18% decrease SSRI use in Youth – NYT / Suicide Risk Not New – Globe / Prozac no different Tue, 21 Sep 2004 The FDA failed to stop drug manufacturers from flooding the air waves and the scientific literature with false and scientifically invalid claims-based on partial data. “The FDA…

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…

Forest Labs Admits Concealment of data – Congressional Probe Expands

Forest Labs Admits Concealment of data – Congressional Probe Expands Sat, 26 Jun 2004 New York Times business reporter, Barry Meier, reports, “Forest officials had not told a medical journal about a failed unpublished study in 2002 of Celexa use in children and adolescents, before the journal published an article…

AHRP Comments Re: Best Pharmaceuticals for Children’s Act of 2002

Comments submitted by The Alliance for Human Research Protection Re: Best Pharmaceuticals for Children’s Act of 2002 The National Academy of Sciences Committee of the Institute of Medicine on Clinical Research Involving Children August 18, 2003 Vera Hassner Sharav, President John H. Noble, Jr., Ph.D, Treasurer David Cohen, Ph.D, Secretary…

Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act of 2002


Comments submitted by The Alliance for Human Research Protection
to The National Academy of Sciences
Committee of the Institute of Medicine on Clinical Research Involving Children

AHRP has been closely monitoring pediatric research trends since passage of the FDA Modernization Act of 1997. We believe that medications used in children should be thoroughly tested for safety, effectiveness and appropriate dose. But unlike adults who can exercise their autonomous right to informed consent, children who are enrolled in clinical trials are non-consensual human subjects. They should not, therefore, be made to assume the burden of testing possibly toxic drugs whose safety is unknown.