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University of Wisconsin–Madison
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty

Foster Children and Antipsychosis Drug Prescriptions

Drugs used for psychotics go to youths in foster care, By Benedict Carey, November 20, 2011, New York Times: “Foster children are being prescribed cocktails of powerful antipsychosis drugs just as frequently as some of the most mentally disabled youngsters on Medicaid, a new study suggests. The report, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, is the first to investigate how often youngsters in foster care are given two antipsychotic drugs at once, the authors said. The drugs include Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa – among other so-called major tranquilizers – which were developed for schizophrenia but are now used as all-purpose drugs for almost any psychiatric symptoms…”