Antidepressant warnings may reduce prescription rates among children

Regulatory warnings regarding the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours appear to be associated with reductions in the number of antidepressant medication prescriptions among children and adolescents, according to a new report. In December 2003, the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines declared the risk-benefit profile of all selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants (as well as venlafaxine hydrochloride and mirtazapine), with the exception of fluoxetine, to be unfavourable for the treatment of major depressive disorders in children and adolescents. {openx:269} In 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration convened a Psycho-pharmacology Advisory Committee, issued a public health advisory, and…