U.S. probes whether Medicaid programs prescribe antipsychotics to children too often

Aug 13 2013

Health officials are investigating whether health care professionals are prescribing antipsychotic drugs too often to children on Medicaid. In the meantime, a Texas compounding pharmacy has become the latest to have its products recalled over meningitis concerns.

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Probes Use Of Antipsychotic Drugs On Children
Federal health officials have launched a probe into the use of antipsychotic drugs on children in the Medicaid system, amid concern that the medications are being prescribed too often to treat behavioral problems in the very young. The inspector general's office at Department of Health and Human Services says it recently began a review of antipsychotic-drug use by Medicaid recipients age 17 and under. And various agencies within HHS are requiring officials in all 50 states to tighten oversight of prescriptions for such drugs to Medicaid-eligible young people (Lagnado, 8/11).

USA Today: FDA: New Voluntary Recall From Compounding Pharmacy
The Food and Drug Administration has announced a voluntary nationwide recall of all sterile products from a Texas compounding pharmacy, the latest in a series of recalls since last year's outbreak of fungal meningitis. Fifteen patients at two Texas hospitals have developed bacterial bloodstream infections after receiving injections from Specialty Compounding from Cedar Park, Texas, the FDA said Sunday (Szabo, 8/11).