In Canada, children are being prescribed antipsychotic drugs in higher amounts than ever before. The question is, is this necessary? Must children be prescribed antipsychotics in order to fare well? That is a question that both doctors and parents are asking.
How has the amount of drugs prescribed for children increased in Canada in recent years?
In the past couple of years, the number of children being prescribed antipsychotic medications has drastically increased. Here’s how:
– In 2010, Risperidone was “recommended” for children 340,670 times by doctors in Canada. 340,670 is nearly double what it was in 2006.
– According to the Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health, prescriptions of antipsychotic drugs for children have increased by 114 percent. The increase took place in the relatively short period of time between 2005 and 2009.
– In 2011 alone, 160,700 prescriptions of Quetiapine were given to children in Canada.
Clearly, the amount antipsychotic drugs being prescribed to children in Canada has increased in the past few years. But what effects are these drugs having on Canadian children?
Antipsychotic drugs may have seriously negative effects upon children.
What types of negative effects do antipsychotic drugs have on kids? Here are just a few:
– High blood pressure
– Significant weight gain
– Tremors
– “Irregular jaw, muscle, and body movements”
Keep in mind, these are just a few side effects that antipsychotic drugs can have on children. Please speak to your child’s physician to determine what side effects may be caused by specific medications.
Sometimes antipsychotic drugs are necessary.
Just as is the case with adults, sometimes certain drugs are necessary for a child to live a functional life. Please understand, we are not saying that all antipsychotic drugs are inappropriate for all children. We know that is best determined by a physician. We are simply questioning the recent increase in the prescription of drugs for children, as should you.
What’s your opinion? Are antipsychotic drugs being prescribed too liberally in Canada?
After reading these statistics and figures, what are your thoughts about children being prescribed antipsychotic drugs? Do you feel the drugs are prescribed too often or when they are not truly needed? We encourage you to voice your opinion on the Disability Living blog by commenting on this post.
http://www.disabilityliving.ca/disability-canada-too-many-prescription-drugs-for-children/
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Let’s Talk About It
Do you think doctors have flippant attitudes toward prescribing drugs to children?
Do you feel the benefits of antipsychotic drugs outweigh the risks? Why?
In my humble opinion, yes too many children are being given drugs that are not good for them, and some of these are being given through 24 hour walk-in clinics. It never used to be this way. When our kids got sick we knew how to handle it. Over the last 30 years this has changed. You take you your children to the doctor for every little sniffle, because if you don’t Social Services comes calling and demanding to know why not.
Just sayin’!