CALL: (888) 972-7736
More children being prescribed medications
By Staff Writer
Many adults become addicted to prescription drug medication over time, but children are now being administered similar drugs that may result in dependency in the future. According to Medco Health Solutions Incorporated, 25 percent of children now regularly take prescription medication, the Wall Street Journal reports. Experts say that the numbers are alarming because of the small amount of research available on children who routinely take prescription drugs. Parents and primary care providers also typically fail to pursue more information on the side effects of medications. The consequences can have a negative affect on an individual's overall health in adulthood. The research firm, IMS Health, expects prescriptions for antihypertensives in children younger than age 19 to increase to 5.5 million by the end of this year. This would be a 17 percent jump from the numbers recorded in 2007. Experts believe that doctors are administering more medications to kids because new drugs are being seen as a viable means of treatment. In 2008, more than 15 million Americans aged 12 or older abused prescription drugs at least once during the year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Prescribing drugs to children at a young age may result in dependency over time. Addiction in families can put a strain on relationships between loved ones.
|