Another Shrink Bites The Dust

April 9th, 2009. By Evelyn Pringle

Brown University’s Martin Keller is the latest chairman of psychiatry to be replaced since an on-going investigation led by Iowa Republican, Senator Charles Grassley, on behalf of the US Senate Finance Committee revealed the millions of dollars in undisclosed payments flowing between psychiatric drug makers and “key opinion leaders” in the field of child psychiatry. Read the rest of this entry »

States focus on limiting psychiatric drugging of kids

April 7th, 2009. By Evelyn Pringle

The Texas legislature is considering a bill that would require doctors to get prior approval before prescribing atypical antipsychotic drugs like Zyprexa, Risperdal, Invega, Abilify, Seroquel and Geodon to children under 11 who are covered by Medicaid in that state, the Dallas Morning News reported on April 1, 2009.The reports on Texas foster children in recent years provide evidence to support such a bill. For instance, in 2007, the top five most commonly prescribed psychotropic drugs to Texas foster children were Ritalin, Risperdal, Clonidine, Seroquel, and Adderall. These five alone accounted for half of the $37.9 million spent on psychiatric drugs for foster children in 2007, according to a report in the August 17, 2008 Dallas Morning News. Read the rest of this entry »

Stinking Chinese Drywall is Everywhere

March 25th, 2009. By BrendaC

Like the average American doesn’t have enough to worry about these days! Now there are major concerns about the drywall in their houses. Hundreds of people living in houses and condominiums built during the housing boom between 2003 and 2007 say that the drywall in their house stinks like rotten eggs – and the gases being given off are destroying their home’s copper wiring and eating away the coils in their air conditioning units. In some cases, people say that the gases have tarnished their jewelry, even the cutlery is being affected. Is this for real? Read the rest of this entry »

Pregnant? Don’t Take Paxil

March 12th, 2009. By janem

It is incomprehensible that Paxil is still on the market, almost 18 months after the FDA issued its warning about “early results of new studies for Paxil (paroxetine) suggesting that the drug increases the risk for birth defects, particularly heart defects, when women take it during the first three months of pregnancy.” Read the rest of this entry »

International Women’s Day should Single Out Ortho Evra Makers

March 11th, 2009. By janem

It was International Women’s Day this past Monday and that got me thinking about how the event causes much joy and celebration in most western countries, but likely goes unnoticed in parts of the world that still allow female circumcision. Of all the personal injury lawsuits needed to be filed to protect women, female genital mutilation should surely get top billing. Hillary Clinton said, “Laws are still on the books denying women the right to own property, access credit, or make their own choices within their marriage. And honor killings, maiming, female genital mutilation, and other violent and degrading practices that target women are tolerated in too many places today.” But what about closer to home? Read the rest of this entry »