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.
Sign the Informed consent for "black box" warning drugs petition
here: http://www.petitiononline.com/393291fg/petition.html
http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/03/nj-informed-consent-bill-passes-key-hurdle/
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This is a very important bill. Most states have informed consent laws but they are often vague or ignored. This is a good start but does it go far enough. Simply telling a parent that they want to put the child on an antidepressant or other psychotropic drug may not be enough. Are they required to explain that there are no medical tests that can determine if their child has a seratonin or other chemical deficiency? Are they required to state that seratonin given to some groups of lab mice provoked violent behavior? Are they required to explain that one recent study showed that a placebo was as effective as an antidepressant? Are they required to tell the parent that 52% of the suicides by women in Sweden in 2006 had filled a prescription for antidepressants within 180 days of their suicide?
If they are not required to present this information, is it really full disclosure?
As the director of Novus Medeical Detox, I can tell you that none of our patients were given sufficient information about the side effects or the ability of medicine to determine their need for seratonin.
Steve Hayes
http://novusdetox.com
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