Tag Archives: antipsychotic

Seroquel Marketing Undeterred by Deceptive-Marketing Settlement

Google the word “depression” and the first search result you’ll get will be for the antipsychotic drug Seroquel XR.

Visit WebMD and you’ll find the home page hosts similar ads for Seroquel XR, above and adjacent to the lead news story.

Who would know that AstraZeneca inked the largest multi-state consumer-protection settlement on record relating to deceptive Seroquel marketing on March 14 for $68.5 million? And only a year after inking a similar settlement related to burying side effect and safety information for $520 million with the government!

Who would know AstraZeneca has already settled nearly 25,000 personal-injury lawsuits pertaining to Seroquel, with more to come, says ABC News?

Mother Forced Into Stand Off With Police for Refusing to Adminster Antipsychotic Drug to Daughter

A woman arrested after a 10-hour standoff with Detroit police says she was protecting her 13-year-old daughter from unnecessary medication. Maryanne Godboldo, 56, is accused of barricading herself inside her home with her daughter and a gun after Child Protective Services workers tried to serve a warrant last week to remove the girl because the Godboldo had withheld her medication, The Detroit News reported Monday.

All Classes of Psychiatric Drugs Found Equally Dangerous for Nursing Home Residents

Conventional antipsychotics, antidepressants and benzodiazepines often administered to nursing home residents are no safer than atypical antipsychotics and may carry increased risks, according to an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Psychotropic medications are often used to manage behavioral symptoms in seniors, particularly people with dementing illnesses, with up to two-thirds of dementia patients in nursing homes prescribed these medications. However, the effectiveness of these drugs in this indication is unclear and important safety concerns exist, especially related to antipsychotics.

Use of chemical restraints in nursing homes called an epidemic

Nearly 25 percent of the residents in California’s nursing homes are placed on antipsychotic drugs, often used as sort of a chemical leash to control behavior in a trend a watchdog called an epidemic Thursday at a symposium. The drugs can double the risk of death for seniors with dementia and cause side effects ranging from stroke to delirium, according to speakers at an Oxnard conference called “Toxic Medicine.”