Posted by paulk on June 16, 2001, at 13:49:11
In reply to Re: JUDGE DISMISSES RITALIN LAWSUIT AGAINST NOVARTIS, posted by AMenz on June 14, 2001, at 10:12:12
> … Psychiatrists are virtually immune from lawsuits unless the damages inflicted by the mis-medication turn out to be physical. Eg, suicide, tardive dyskenesia at least in Florida.
What do you base this on? You should see how much of the money goes for malpractice insurance (and then on to lawyers). The real problem is, many pdocs are so timid and afraid of getting sued that they don’t do what they think is best for the patient. It goes like this –
1. Will this treatment get me in trouble for prescribing this med by the FDA or State Med board?
2. Will I be exposed to possible malpractice suit?
3. Will the school stop sending cases to me if I don’t prescribe Ritalin?
4. Is this what the parents want?
5. Will it be the best for the patient?
In that order.
While Ritalin is over prescribed, it is a wonder drug for those who truly need it and thankfully doesn’t seem to be hurting the kids that are on it because they are acting like rowdy children.
I think the real scandal is the school teachers that see it as the “easy way’ to deal with a rowdy kid. I really just don’t think that the teachers and school councilors have had enough training to diagnose ADD. What happens is they make a report listing the criteria to diagnose ADD , send it and the kid to a willing psy-doc – who uses just that information to make a diagnose.
What they need to do is give the kid some work to do at the psy-doc’s office, and see if he can sit still to do it. This of course takes time and is work for the psy-doc so it is avoided.
In some places the teachers might as well be writing the prescriptions.
poster:paulk
thread:66195
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010612/msgs/66741.html