California Sees Major Turn Around On Use Of Psychiatric Drugs In State’s Foster Care System
Since investigations have shined a light on the problem, the number of foster youth prescribed antipsychotic drugs has fallen by almost half.
The Mercury News:
Drugging Our Kids: Big Drop In Drugged Foster Kids In California
After years of efforts to crack down on the rampant use of psychiatric drugs in California’s foster care system, the number of youth prescribed the potent medications is plummeting — a major turnaround in how the state cares for some of its most vulnerable children. The Bay Area News Group began examining the state’s use of the powerful medications in its series “Drugging Our Kids,” in 2014. Since then, the number of foster youth prescribed antipsychotic drugs has fallen by almost half, from 5,076 during the 12-month period that ended in June 2014 to 2,778 during the same period that ended in June 2017. (Woolfolk, 4/1)