Big jump in Rx for U.S. children!
Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:30 pm
Dear Friends,
Americans need to start providing safer alternatives for our children. Back
in 1988 in my book "Discovering Homeopathy," I coined the words "medical
child abuse." Sadly, American doctors are regularly committed medical child
abuse, and even more sadly, American parents are letting them do so...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27515989/
Number of medicated kids jumps, study finds
Increase in children being treated for chronic conditions such as diabetes
CHICAGO - More and more U.S. children are being given drugs to fight chronic
conditions such as asthma and hyperactivity, according to a study published
on Monday. From 2002 to 2005 prescriptions for medicines to treat type-2
diabetes doubled, asthma medications rose by more than 46 percent, medicines
for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder increased by more than 40
percent and prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering drugs were up by 15
percent.
The study was conducted by Emily Cox of Express Scripts Inc. in St. Louis, a
manager of pharmacy insurance benefit plans, Dr. Donna Halloran of the
Pediatric Research Institute in St. Louis, and Douglas Mager of the Kansas
Health Institute in Topeka.
In a report published in the November issue of Pediatrics, they said the
increases could mean that chronic conditions are on the rise.
But they said the trend could also reflect other factors such as changes in
the way doctors prescribe drugs and better screening that identifies more
chronic conditions.
In addition, the team said federal programs that encouraged research on
pediatric drugs resulted in "increased data on safety and efficacy in
children (that) likely provided physicians with a greater degree of
confidence to prescribe (such drugs)."
The findings were based on insurance claims for 3.2 million children aged 5
to 19.
Emily R. Cox, Donna R. Halloran, Sharon M. Homan, Sherry Welliver, and
Douglas E. Mager. "Trends in the Prevalence of Chronic Medication Use in
Children: 2002-2005." Pediatrics, Vol. 122 No. 5 November 2008, pp.
e1053-e1061,
Published online 31 October, 2008. doi:10.1542/peds.2008-0214
.
Dana Ullman, MPH
Homeopathic Educational Services
2124 Kittredge St.
Berkeley, CA. 94704
(510)649-0294
(800)359-9051 (orders only in the U.S.)
(510)649-1955 (fax)
dullman@igc.org OR dana@homeopathic.com
http://www.homeopathic.com
Americans need to start providing safer alternatives for our children. Back
in 1988 in my book "Discovering Homeopathy," I coined the words "medical
child abuse." Sadly, American doctors are regularly committed medical child
abuse, and even more sadly, American parents are letting them do so...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27515989/
Number of medicated kids jumps, study finds
Increase in children being treated for chronic conditions such as diabetes
CHICAGO - More and more U.S. children are being given drugs to fight chronic
conditions such as asthma and hyperactivity, according to a study published
on Monday. From 2002 to 2005 prescriptions for medicines to treat type-2
diabetes doubled, asthma medications rose by more than 46 percent, medicines
for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder increased by more than 40
percent and prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering drugs were up by 15
percent.
The study was conducted by Emily Cox of Express Scripts Inc. in St. Louis, a
manager of pharmacy insurance benefit plans, Dr. Donna Halloran of the
Pediatric Research Institute in St. Louis, and Douglas Mager of the Kansas
Health Institute in Topeka.
In a report published in the November issue of Pediatrics, they said the
increases could mean that chronic conditions are on the rise.
But they said the trend could also reflect other factors such as changes in
the way doctors prescribe drugs and better screening that identifies more
chronic conditions.
In addition, the team said federal programs that encouraged research on
pediatric drugs resulted in "increased data on safety and efficacy in
children (that) likely provided physicians with a greater degree of
confidence to prescribe (such drugs)."
The findings were based on insurance claims for 3.2 million children aged 5
to 19.
Emily R. Cox, Donna R. Halloran, Sharon M. Homan, Sherry Welliver, and
Douglas E. Mager. "Trends in the Prevalence of Chronic Medication Use in
Children: 2002-2005." Pediatrics, Vol. 122 No. 5 November 2008, pp.
e1053-e1061,
Published online 31 October, 2008. doi:10.1542/peds.2008-0214
.
Dana Ullman, MPH
Homeopathic Educational Services
2124 Kittredge St.
Berkeley, CA. 94704
(510)649-0294
(800)359-9051 (orders only in the U.S.)
(510)649-1955 (fax)
dullman@igc.org OR dana@homeopathic.com
http://www.homeopathic.com