Recently the Obama administration announced that it is taking action to address the growing problem of prescription drug abuse. Of course this is good news, and more must be done to raise awareness of this issue and crack down on those who abuse the system. It reminded me of another problem related to prescription drug use: the inappropriate use of psychotropic drugs for children in foster care.
A recent study by the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute found that over that past decade the use of psychotropic medications -- those used for the treatment of behavioral and mental health issues -- for children between the ages of 2 and 21 has risen significantly. Moreover, while during the same period an estimated 4 percent of the general youth population was prescribed these medications, the figure for kids in foster care was much higher -- anywhere from 13 to 52 percent. Recent studies in Texas and Georgia arrive at similar findings.
We could debate the precise meaning of such statistics, but they are supported by many instances of foster youth who have been so heavily medicated that they can barely talk, or who felt more imprisoned than cared for while on a mixture of these drugs. It's no longer possible to ignore the conclusion that there is a serious problem here. In many cases, psychotropic drugs are being prescribed for foster children not on the basis of legitimate medical diagnosis, but on demand or worse -- for convenience.
Several factors might explain why our foster youth are being prescribed psychotropic medications at rates far higher than for the general population. They are particularly vulnerable and many of the adults responsible for their care are extremely busy with responsibilities for too many children. Yet, the use of psychotropic drugs requires careful monitoring and adjustment. They are only one tool, best used in conjunction with other therapeutic work, under the supervision of a trained mental health professional.
We could come up with lots of reasons why our foster children are being overmedicated: not enough time, not enough money, lack of qualified medical personnel. But, in the end, there simply is no excuse.
Imagine you're a child who has been maltreated at home, who is temporarily living elsewhere, bounced from one unfamiliar home to another. I'll bet you'd be angry too. I certainly would. It's entirely natural to be mad and upset in such circumstances -- this is a normal reaction, not a mental disorder.
If my own child were prescribed any of these medications, I would insist on knowing what's in it, what it will do, and what to watch out for. I would also monitor usage and follow up regularly with the prescribing health care professional to see if any changes were needed or the dose could be reduced or even eliminated at some point.
We should expect no lower level of care for our foster youth. There are children in the foster care system who are facing serious mental health concerns -- anxiety, depression, and worse -- and for these children medication can be a tremendous benefit. But, powerful drugs should be reserved to treat actual disorders. Juvenile courts need to be closely involved in the process to ensure that the child's voice is heard and interests are served. We also need to ensure that each and every child in foster care has the support of a caring adult who can look after his best interests, including monitoring and when necessary, raising concerns about, medications and health care.
The White House has announced action against a very different prescription drug problem. Overmedication of our foster youth is an issue that deserves our attention, too.
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Rhea Perlman: Giving Foster Kids Three More Years
Prescription Drug Abuse: MedlinePlus
Prescription Drug Abuse - Topics in Brief - NIDA
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The problem goes beyond the doctors, but they are in position where they actually do know better, despite what has proliferated in the practice. Physicians can hide behind the powerful cabals of the AAP, over 60K strong, and behind the institutionally captured FDA, and continue to bill as usual, for not only not improving health, but actually taking it further away.
The doctors are then protected from liability of children on medicaid, making them sitting ducks.
The children are not the problem, they are merely indicative of a problem on a far greater scale, that I think boils down to greed.
God bless the very rare and brave physicians who will risk ridicule, financial penalty and professional scorn in order to truly begin to stop this overwhelming and ongoing abuse, one physician and one child at a time.
Thank you to all the good foster parents who are true heroes and underpaid, and who demonstrate genuine concern for these suffering children. There do exist foster parents who makes great strides with their children through their love and care and heart felt intention. What measures are there that can separate it from the false claims of docs who could attribute that it is the drug that made the improvement in the child.
Nor are they protected from liability of children on Medicaid- far from it.
Your post is nothing but a solid lie.
Are you a schill for Big Lawyers ?
Even if they are not accepting "gifts" there are bonus systems in place for scripts that are written, not to mention the base fees that a patient pays to come and see a physician, and in many cases a prescription will be handed out by the doc, who will at minimum collect a fee for said appointment.
The incentive in practice of allopathic medicine is on the Rx.
Here are a couple links to articles that outline some of this "crock" you refer to.
http://www2.palmbeachpost.com/news/juvidrugs/index2.html
Drugging juveniles: Doctors hired to evaluate kids in state custody have taken huge payments from drug companies
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/us/01elderly.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=psychiatrist%20prescription&st=cse
Talk Doesn’t Pay, So Psychiatry Turns Instead to Drug Therapy
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/health/policy/06doctors.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=psychiatrist%20talk%20therapy&st=cse
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/health/policy/06doctors.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=psychiatrist%20talk%20therapy&st=cse
It doesn't help to be judgmental in these cases; fact is, there are adults and children whose brains don't produce the right amounts of various compounds and who can benefit greatly through PROPER medication. This does not mean that every child who has behavior issues should be drugged into submission. I myself was hyperactive and have attention disorders; fortunately I was born before the era of ADHD diagnosis and drug therapy and eventually learned coping skills without medication.
I think it is significant that both foster and adoptive children suffer high rates of behavior disorders. There is research which points to PTSD as a possible cause (the trauma of being separated from biological families.) Treating juvenile behavior disorders should begin with testing for PTSD and trying proven treatments first; medication should be a last resort and only when combined with therapy and careful observation.
You talk about the mother being bipolar and taking 'street drugs" . I have studied chemistry and biochemistry and there is no diffeence between street drugs such as amphetamines and cocaine and psychiatric drugs . T
A typical family with a troubled child cannot afford the counciling sessions, the medication and close monitoring. A foster parent, paid to care for these children can, and must, or loose their licence.
We have turned into a society that automaticly thinks that low income and the people that care for them are suspect. Yes, I am sure children in foster care have more poblems than most other children, but do not assume it is only that and not the fact that the kids not in the system are doing without care.
After this almost fatal incident, I "bullied" my social workers into allowing me to privately pay for any medical/dental/optical procedures I thought would benefit my kids! The "system" sucked then and still does but it's amazing how they back off when you tell them you'll use "your own $$"!
You know whos fault it is?Its yours.Its every good person out there that has the means and room in their home and hearts for a child in need and wont take one in.Its your fault.When good people dont step up it only leaves the bad ones.
Ya know.. the ones you hear horrible stories about....?
I am not saying over medication is not a problem. It is just not the main driver of the statistics.