Sue Scheff: DrugWatch.com - Knowing What Your Doctor is Prescribing to Your Teens or Children
Prescription medications and teens and children has been a debate for years. The controversy over ADD/ADHD medication such as Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera, Concerta and others has been hashed out in medical reports and articles for many years. According to the American Academy of Dermatology , by mid-teens more than 40 percent of adolescents have acne or acne scarring which may require treatment by a dermatologist and use of prescription drugs such as Accutane to treat their condition, not realizing the drug’s serious side effects like liver failure, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and depression which can lead to suicide. One unfortunate example of this effect is Congressman Bart Stupak’s son, who tragically took his own life after being on Accutane to treat his acne. According to DrugWatch , on June 29, 2009, Roche Pharmaceuticals pulled Accutane from the market due to numerous personal injury lawsuits and business costs. Isotretinoin, the generic for...