AS PHARMACEUTICAL companies profit from so-called “off-label’’ uses of their products, the overuse of the antipsychotic drug Risperdal underscores the need for closer scrutiny. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has earned millions of dollars by selling it for use on patients who have dementia but are not psychotic. Never mind that, in 2005, the FDA found that antipsychotics cause so many deaths among the elderly that they merit a special warning.
via boston.com
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