Number of Children Taking Antipsychotic Drugs Soars 7/7/2006 1:01:09 PM
. NEW YORK -- The number of children taking antipsychotic medicines soared 73 percent in the four years ending in 2005, far outpacing the increase in adults, according to a Medco Health Solutions Inc. report released Tuesday. Use of the new class of drugs known as atypical anti-psychotics by people 19 and younger skyrocketed 80 percent in the same time-period.
The sharp increase is noteworthy because the powerful drugs are for individuals with serious psychosis such as schizophrenia so there is some concern the medicines may not always be prescribed appropriately, said Dr. Amita Dasmanapatra, senior director of medical affairs at Medco. She said it is possible that some doctors are prescribing the drugs for children with behavioral problems, which would be better controlled by other means. Medco's analysis of over 2 million insured Americans didn't explore the reasons for the increase. The atypical anti-psychotics aren't approved for use in children although doctors are free to prescribe drugs as they see fit. The number of children on anti-psychotics rose to 6.6 per 1,000 in 2005 from 3.81 per thousand in 2001. In contrast, 11 adults per 1,000 were taking one of the drugs.
The increase in the number of adults taking anti-psychotics rose 13 percent in the four years ended in 2005. However, the rate of prescription growth in children has been slowing although the analysis was not designed to determine the reason. For example, the rate of prescription growth in all anti-psychotics was 3.38 percent last year, down from 14 percent in 2004 and 22 percent in 2003. Meanwhile, last year prescription growth for atypical anti-psychotics was nearly 5 percent, down from nearly 13 percent in 2004 and 24 percent in 2003.
In adults, the number of prescriptions fell 7 percent. Dr. David Kessler, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Burlington, Vt., speculated that the decrease in growth is tied to concern about atypical anti-psychotics link to diabetes. In 2003, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked manufacturers of atypical anti-psychotics to add warning labels describing the increased risk of high blood sugar and diabetes. The drugs include Eli Lilly & Co.'s Zyprexa, AstraZeneca PLC's Seroquel, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s Abilify and Pfizer Inc.'s Geodon.
What is alarming is that last year the FDA determined that elderly patients with dementia being treated with atypical anti-psychotics had an increased risk of death. The FDA asked manufacturers to include a warning on the drugs' label about the risk, and note that the drugs are not approved to treat behavioral problems in patients with dementia.
