Children and the prescribing of medications

There have long been concerns raised in Pennsylvania and across the nation regarding the overmedicating of young people, but not all doctors seemed to have received the message. There remains a push for doctors to provide young people with medications that are supposed to boost a child’s memory. This includes using stimulants that purportedly will affective cognitive functioning.

The American Academy of Neurologists (AAN) has recently released a study concerning this trend. The study’s conclusions warn that prescribing medications for this purpose also increases the chances of cardiovascular problems developing, and young people becoming addicted to these and other types of medications.

The lead author of this study stated: “These drugs are being prescribed a lot, and they’re being sold on the street a lot.” Patients have been known to fabricate symptoms in order to get doctors to prescribe these medications. And sometimes doctors simply provide medications to young people because the doctors are told these young people need the medications to study and stay more focused at school.

More parents are apparently reporting that their children suffer from ADHD than they did a decade ago. And though ADHD is undoubtedly a syndrome that does exist, the author of this study stated that too many people are being diagnosed with this condition and then prescribed medications.

If you do question the diagnosis of a physician or the treatment prescribed, please speak to a seasoned medical practice attorney concerning their opinion. Addiction continually becomes an extremely serious problem – especially when speaking about young people. Physicians thus need to act with great care when prescribing these sorts of medications.

Source: amednews.com, “Neurologists warn of prescribing stimulants to youths seeking better grades,” by Christine S. Moyer, March 18, 2013

Learn about the complex area of medical malpractice as it pertains to medication errors at our Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania lawyers’ website.