I would be interested in your comments on June 1,2014 MN DHS (from their website) change in proscribing psychotropic medications to three year old children;
Effective June 1, 2014, psychiatric consultations will no longer be required for high-dose ADHD and SGA drugs prescribed for children over age 3. Instead, pharmacies will receive an informational message when they bill for prescriptions which exceed the dose/age threshold for recipients under age 18.
Also, as of June 1, 2014, a child must be at least three years old for all ADHD and SGA prescriptions. Prior authorization (PA) overrides will not be available for children younger than age 3. Some drugs will continue to be subject to higher age requirements. PA requirements for prescription drugs, including age requirements for prescription drugs, are available on the PA Criteria and Regimen Review Sheets.
As a volunteer CASA guardian ad-Litem I watched many children forced to take these drugs. As state wards they could not argue and were forced to take them.
I’ve written about seven year old Gabriel Myers who hung himself in his foster home and left a note about how he hated Prozac and the Hennepin County Judge that shared with me the huge number of state ward children proscribed psychotropic medications while passing through her courtroom.
Mental health services for traumatized children would be more effective, more humane, and less expensive in the long run. Children could learn coping skills and become functioning members of our community. Jails & prisons would empty, schools would be way more successful and positive environments and our streets would be safer.
It would also be the right thing to do.