Adolescent Children Antipsychotic Medications

Package embargoed until 3 p.m. CDT, Monday Aug. 2.

For more information, contact:

Clinton Colmenares

VanderbiltUniversity Medical Center

o. 615-322-4747

pg. 615-835-1591

VIDEO AUDIO

Kids playing in park

Antipsychotic medications

Pills pouring from bottle

Doctor talking

Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital exterior shot

SHOULD CHILDREN WITH PROBLEMS LIKE A-D-H-D BE PLACED ON NEW ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS? WE’LL TELL YOU WHY RESEARCHERS AT VANDERBILT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL SAY IT MAY BE A CONCERNING CHOICE, NEXT.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME – :30

SUGGESTED STUDIO INTRO: A NEW STUDY BY RESEARCHERS AT VANDERBILT MEDICAL CENTER, RELEASED TODAY (Embargoed until 3pm CDT, August 2, 2004) IN THE ARCHIVES OF PEDIATRICS AND ADOLESCENT MEDICINE, FOUND THAT FROM 1996 TO 2001, A GROWING NUMBER OF ADOLESCENT CHILDREN EITHER INSURED OR COVERED BY A MANAGED CARE PROGRAM IN TENNESSEE WERE BEING PRESCRIBED NEW ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS FOR BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS A-D-H-D. REPORTER HEATHER HALL EXPLAINS.

VIDEO AUDIO

NATSOUND: Kids playing in park

NATSOUND: Kids playing in park (:03)

Kids playing in park continues

CU: daughter playing in park

CU: Jennie watching kids at play

JENNIE CONRAD HAS TWO SONS WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER OR A-D-H-D, AND A DAUGHTER WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER OR A-D-D. SHE STRUGGLED WITH DECIDING WHETHER MEDICATION WAS NECESSARY. (:12)

SOT: Jennie Conrad

SOT: Jennie Conrad:

"I really hesitated to use medicine because I feel like behavior management is a real strong component, but I think that sometimes you have to back off and use both of those." (:10)

WS: Doctor Cooper walking around hallway to meet nurse at station

MS: Nurse listening to Doctor Cooper

OTS: Doctor Cooper talking to nurse

MS: Pharmacy technician getting pill bottle from shelf

Pills pouring onto pill counter, bottle in background

DOCTOR WILLIAM COOPER FROM VANDERBILT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AGREES. HIS STUDY IDENTIFIED THAT INCREASINGLY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS APPEAR TO BE RELYING PRIMARILY ON MEDICATIONS INCLUDING NEW ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS, MANY NOT ADEQUATELY TESTED FOR USE IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. (:15)

SOT: William Cooper, M.D.

SOT: William Cooper, M.D.:

"We found a near doubling of the children that were placed on that, in particular for example, teenagers, where by 2001 one out of every one-hundred teenagers in our study population were being placed on these medications." (:13)

Kids at park playing

DOCTOR COOPER SAYS THERE ARE NO STUDIES TESTING THE USE OF THESE NEW ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS IN CHILDREN WITH PROBLEMS LIKE A-D-H-D. (:08)

VO/SOT: William Cooper, M.D.

Kids playing in park

SOT: Dr. Cooper up full here

VO/SOT: William Cooper, M.D.:

"If there’s an increasing number of kids being placed on these medicines and we don’t know these things that would be potentially a lot of children being placed at risk for having dangerous and severe side effects." (:11)

Pharmacist pulls pills from shelf

MS: various pill bottles

CU: pills pouring onto counter

SO WHY THE DRAMATIC INCREASE IN CHILDREN TAKING THESE MEDICATIONS? DOCTOR COOPER THINKS NEWER MEDICINES HITTING THE MARKET ARE PART OF IT. (:07)

SOT: William Cooper, M.D.

SOT: William Cooper, M.D.:

"The older antipsychotics had severe neurological side effects and people didn’t use them for that reason. The newer side effects are there, they just appear to be a different type of side effects." (:10)

MS: Mother with daughter in lap in exam room

CU: looking inside young patient’s throat

MS: Doctor Cooper checking young patient’s throat

CU: Doctor Cooper listening to her lungs and talking to her

DOCTOR COOPER SAYS FURTHER STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO DETERMINE IF THESE NEWER ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS WILL BE APPROPRIATE FOR USE IN CHILDREN. THIS IS HEATHER HALL REPORTING. (:09)

SUGGESTED STUDIO TAG: DOCTOR COOPER SUGGESTS A LACK OF MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITIES ADDS TO THE PROBLEM, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS TO FIND ADDITIONAL TREATMENT OPTIONS, INCLUDING BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT. HE ADVISES PARENTS TO BE SURE THEIR CHILD IS EVALUATED AND PROPERLY DIAGNOSED WITH A-D-H-D OR OTHER PROBLEMS FIRST, AND TO DISCUSS SIDE EFFECTS OF MEDICATIONS WITH A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IN ORDER TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT THE BEST CHOICE FOR THEIR CHILD.

TRT: 1:40

SUPERS:

Jennie Conrad :14-:25

Concerned Parent

William Cooper, M.D. :40-:53

Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital