Friday, February 10, 2006
Banned drugs still being prescribed for children -UK
Tens of thousands of children are still being prescribed powerful antidepressants despite guidance that they should not given to patients under 18 because of serious safety concerns.Full Article by Maxine Frith
Campaigners warned that vulnerable teenagers were being treated with a potentially dangerous "chemical cosh" of drugs because of long waiting lists for more suitable therapies such as counselling.
More than 85,000 prescriptions were given to children in 2004 for antidepressants that the regulatory agencies had ruled should only be given to adults.
One in three of all child antidepressant prescriptions were for drugs on the "banned" list drawn up by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2003.
The drugs, which include Seroxat and other common antidepressants known as SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) raise the risk of emotional distress, self-harm and suicidal thoughts among children.
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