Antipsychotics Continue to get Pounded ---- Informed Consent Bill Passes NJ Assembl

1. Antipsychotic psychiatric drugs continue to get harpooned in the
press across the country.
2. Informed Consent bill passes New Jersey Assembly.

Sign the Informed consent for "black box warning" drugs petition here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/393291fg/petition.html and pass the word!

http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/03/nj-informed-consent-bill-passes-key-hur
dle/
Pharmalot
NJ Informed Consent Bill Passes Key Hurdle
March 14th, 2008
By Ed Silverman

A controversial New Jersey bill to require informed consent from a
minor's parent before a doc, nurse practitioner and other healthcare
providers can write a prescription for any psychotropic that already
carries a Black Box warning was approved overwhelmingly by the state
assembly yesterday in a 72-to-3 vote. Now, an identical Senate version
heads for what may be a fractious debate in the Senate health committee.

This a big leap from just three months ago, when the bill appeared to be
dead after a year-long fight by a pair of New Jersey moms and their
allies, who argue that informed consent is the only way to make sure
info is passed from docs to patients. In particular, they're concerned
that side effects, such as suicidal behavior and thoughts, that are
linked to antidepressants can be misconstrued as part of the illness. As
a result, they maintain parents may not have sufficient info to
recognize troubling signals.

The legislation is being closely watched by the medical community and
other legislators.

+;++

The New York Times
Lilly Executive Discussed Illegal Off-Label Uses for Zyprexa
March 14, 2008
By ALEX BERENSON

John C. Lechleiter, an Eli Lilly official who is about to become the
company's top executive, wrote an e-mail message in 2003 that appears to
have encouraged Lilly to promote its schizophrenia medicine Zyprexa for
a use not approved by federal drug regulators.

The e-mail message was discussed this week in an Anchorage courtroom in
a lawsuit against Lilly by the State of Alaska. The suit seeks
reimbursement for the medical costs of Medicaid patients who developed
diabetes while taking Zyprexa. The drug causes severe weight gain and
cholesterol problems in many patients and has been linked to diabetes.

...While doctors are free to prescribe it "off label"; for any patients
for any use, it would be a violation of federal law for Lilly to
actively encourage off-label use of the drug.

The federal government has investigated drug companies before for
off-label promotion of their medicines, but Mr. Lechleiter's note
provides rare documentation of a senior drug executive's openly
discussing the practice.

More here: http://tmap.wordpress.com/

+++

Anchorage Daily News (Alaska)
Japan made Zyprexa labels reflect risk to diabetics
March 14, 2008
By Lisa Demer

When health officials in Japan learned of serious health complications
from the schizophrenia drug Zyprexa back in 2002, they forced the drug
maker to put a strong warning on its label: Do not give to patients with
diabetes.

Sales took an immediate dive. So did the reputation of manufacturer Eli
Lilly and Co., and not just with the Japanese health ministry, jurors
were told Thursday in Anchorage Superior Court.

"Market research shows we have also lost quite a bit of credibility with
prescribers and opinion leaders, basically because they felt left in the
dark with what they perceived as the late sharing of safety
information," two Lilly executives wrote that year in a memo to John
Lechleiter, the company's chief operating officer and president.
The controversy in Japan over the drug was front and center in Anchorage
Superior Court on Thursday.
More here: http://tmap.wordpress.com

+++
Register Guard (Eugene, Oregon)
Antipsychotic drugs are doing harm
March 16, 2008
By Chuck Areford

It is essential to note at the outset that suddenly stopping or reducing
psychiatric medications can be hazardous. Adjustments in medication are
best done under the supervision of a medical professional.

In the early 1990s, a new class of drugs promised to revolutionize the
treatment of schizophrenia and other mental disorders. Known as atypical
antipsychotics, drugs such as Clozaril, Zyprexa and Risperdal largely
replaced older medications such as Thorazine, Haldol and Prolixin.
Research and advertising sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry led to
the widespread belief that the newer medications were indisputably
safer, more effective and well worth additional billions of dollars in
taxpayer money. Pharmaceutical profits soared.

Since then, the life expectancy of those treated in community mental
health centers has plunged to an appalling 25 years less than average.
Life expectancy may have fallen by as much as 15 years since 1986.
Indications are that the death rate continues to accelerate in what must
be ranked as one of the worst public health disasters in U.S. history.

The toxicity of antipsychotic medications, also known as neuroleptics,
is thoroughly documented. Atypical antipsychotics initially seemed less
hazardous because they produce fewer movement disorders. We now know
that the newer drugs lead to more cardiovascular disease, which is by
far the leading killer of those in the public mental health system.

Chuck Areford of Eugene, Oregon is on the Advisory Committee for
MindFreedom Lane County, Oregon. He has worked in the public mental
health system for the past 25 years.

More here: http://tmap.wordpress.com/

Letters to the editor: rgletters%40guardnet.com">rglettersguardnet.com

+;++

25,521 Signatures Against TeenScreen. Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfU9puZQKBY

Petition:
English http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html
Spanish http://www.psychsearch.net/votos.html
Italian http://www.psychsearch.net/italiani.html
French http://www.enfantshyperactifs.com/petition-a-signer/

Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic

.

INFORMED CONSENT: I thought it was true that *all* patients, not
only parents of minors, already had a legal right to informed
consent, which would involve, if carried out properly, doctors first
finding out the true facts about the drugs they write prescriptions
for, and then, telling the patient what they may expect to have
happen as a result of ingesting these substances. That would include
both long term and short term effects, both direct effects and
secondary effects, of all drugs, not only those to which a black box
warning had been attached. Am I wrong about that? Is it not true
that it's just that they don't bother, and nobody enforces it? Cate

--- In SSRI-Crusaders%40yahoogroups.com">SSRI-Crusadersyahoogroups.com, <datasearch...> wrote:
&gt;
> 1. Antipsychotic psychiatric drugs continue to get harpooned in the
> press across the country.
> 2. Informed Consent bill passes New Jersey Assembly.
>
> Sign the Informed consent for "black box warning&quot; drugs petition
here:
> http://www.petitiononline.com/393291fg/petition.html and pass the
word!
>
>
> http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/03/nj-informed-consent-bill-passes-
key-hur
> dle/
>; Pharmalot
> NJ Informed Consent Bill Passes Key Hurdle
&gt; March 14th, 2008
>; By Ed Silverman
>
> A controversial New Jersey bill to require informed consent from a
> minor's parent before a doc, nurse practitioner and other healthcare
> providers can write a prescription for any psychotropic that already
> carries a Black Box warning was approved overwhelmingly by the state
&gt; assembly yesterday in a 72-to-3 vote. Now, an identical Senate
version
> heads for what may be a fractious debate in the Senate health
committee.
>
> This a big leap from just three months ago, when the bill appeared
to be
> dead after a year-long fight by a pair of New Jersey moms and their
&gt; allies, who argue that informed consent is the only way to make sure
>; info is passed from docs to patients. In particular, they're
concerned
> that side effects, such as suicidal behavior and thoughts, that are
> linked to antidepressants can be misconstrued as part of the
illness. As
> a result, they maintain parents may not have sufficient info to
> recognize troubling signals.
>
> The legislation is being closely watched by the medical community
and
&gt; other legislators.
>
> +++
>
> The New York Times
&gt; Lilly Executive Discussed Illegal Off-Label Uses for Zyprexa
> March 14, 2008
>; By ALEX BERENSON
>
> John C. Lechleiter, an Eli Lilly official who is about to become the
> company's top executive, wrote an e-mail message in 2003 that
appears to
> have encouraged Lilly to promote its schizophrenia medicine Zyprexa
for
&gt; a use not approved by federal drug regulators.
>
> The e-mail message was discussed this week in an Anchorage
courtroom in
> a lawsuit against Lilly by the State of Alaska. The suit seeks
&gt; reimbursement for the medical costs of Medicaid patients who
developed
> diabetes while taking Zyprexa. The drug causes severe weight gain
and
&gt; cholesterol problems in many patients and has been linked to
diabetes.
>
> ...While doctors are free to prescribe it "off label"; for any
patients
> for any use, it would be a violation of federal law for Lilly to
> actively encourage off-label use of the drug.
&gt;
> The federal government has investigated drug companies before for
> off-label promotion of their medicines, but Mr. Lechleiter's note
>; provides rare documentation of a senior drug executive's openly
&gt; discussing the practice.
>
> More here: http://tmap.wordpress.com/
>
> +++
>
>
> Anchorage Daily News (Alaska)
> Japan made Zyprexa labels reflect risk to diabetics
> March 14, 2008
>; By Lisa Demer
&gt;
> When health officials in Japan learned of serious health
complications
&gt; from the schizophrenia drug Zyprexa back in 2002, they forced the
drug
> maker to put a strong warning on its label: Do not give to patients
with
> diabetes.
>
> Sales took an immediate dive. So did the reputation of manufacturer
Eli
&gt; Lilly and Co., and not just with the Japanese health ministry,
jurors
> were told Thursday in Anchorage Superior Court.
&gt;
> "Market research shows we have also lost quite a bit of credibility
with
> prescribers and opinion leaders, basically because they felt left
in the
> dark with what they perceived as the late sharing of safety
&gt; information," two Lilly executives wrote that year in a memo to John
>; Lechleiter, the company's chief operating officer and president.
> The controversy in Japan over the drug was front and center in
Anchorage
> Superior Court on Thursday.
> More here: http://tmap.wordpress.com
&gt;
> +++
> Register Guard (Eugene, Oregon)
> Antipsychotic drugs are doing harm
>; March 16, 2008
>; By Chuck Areford
>
> It is essential to note at the outset that suddenly stopping or
reducing
> psychiatric medications can be hazardous. Adjustments in medication
are
&gt; best done under the supervision of a medical professional.
>
> In the early 1990s, a new class of drugs promised to revolutionize
the
&gt; treatment of schizophrenia and other mental disorders. Known as
atypical
> antipsychotics, drugs such as Clozaril, Zyprexa and Risperdal
largely
> replaced older medications such as Thorazine, Haldol and Prolixin.
> Research and advertising sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry
led to
> the widespread belief that the newer medications were indisputably
> safer, more effective and well worth additional billions of dollars
in
&gt; taxpayer money. Pharmaceutical profits soared.
>
> Since then, the life expectancy of those treated in community mental
&gt; health centers has plunged to an appalling 25 years less than
average.
> Life expectancy may have fallen by as much as 15 years since 1986.
&gt; Indications are that the death rate continues to accelerate in what
must
> be ranked as one of the worst public health disasters in U.S.
history.
>
> The toxicity of antipsychotic medications, also known as
neuroleptics,
&gt; is thoroughly documented. Atypical antipsychotics initially seemed
less
> hazardous because they produce fewer movement disorders. We now know
>; that the newer drugs lead to more cardiovascular disease, which is
by
&gt; far the leading killer of those in the public mental health system.
>
> Chuck Areford of Eugene, Oregon is on the Advisory Committee for
> MindFreedom Lane County, Oregon. He has worked in the public mental
&gt; health system for the past 25 years.
&gt;
> More here: http://tmap.wordpress.com/
>
> Letters to the editor: rgletters...
>
> +++
>
> 25,521 Signatures Against TeenScreen. Video:
&gt; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfU9puZQKBY
>
> Petition:
> English http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html
> Spanish http://www.psychsearch.net/votos.html
> Italian http://www.psychsearch.net/italiani.html
> French http://www.enfantshyperactifs.com/petition-a-signer/
>

Messages in this topic (2) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic

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