MessageThese gutsy New Jersey Moms want you to sign their petition, go here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?393291fg

http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/02/informed-consent-bill-on-psychotropics-revived-\
in-nj/
Informed Consent Bill On Psychotropics Back In NJ
Pharmalot
February 29th, 2008
By Ed Silverman
Three years ago, the FDA required makers of antidepressants to supply Med Guides
along with their pills. That wasn't good enough for a couple of New Jersey moms,
who have been pushing their state legislature to go even further - a bill
requiring a doctor or nurse to obtain informed consent from a minor's parent
before writing a prescription for any psychotropic that already carries a Black
Box warning.

Last November, however, it looked like the bill, which had been kicking around a
year, was dead after making it to the New Jersey assembly and senate. The state
senator who heads the health committee, Joe Vitale, failed to schedule the bill
for a vote, citing procedural issues and the need for further study. At the
time, he told us the bill would still move forward, but it never did. He hasn't
returned calls seeking comment.

As a result, the legislation had to be introduced from scratch. Though those two
moms, however, have succeeded in finding five new sponsors in the assembly,
where the bill has been introduced and will be heard this coming Monday morning
before the consumer affairs committee. "This fight isn't over," says Lisa Van
Syckel, a self-styled parental advocate. (This is the bill).

"Informed consent is the only way to make sure information is passed from
physcians to patients," says Laurie Yorke, a registered nurse and the other mom
who pushed for legislation. "And with these drugs, there are a lot of varying
opinions among physicians, as well as misconceptions in general. Unfortunately,
the adverse reactions can be misconstrued as part of the illness, when it may be
due to the drug. And parents need to know that, but if they're not given
sufficient information, they're not going to know what to look for."


Meanwhile, the moms and their supporters are seeking sponsors in the state
senate for a companion bill. A spokeswoman for one senator, Shirley Turner, says
Turner is interested in the bill and is considering introducing legislation.

It remains unclear whether the bill will again be opposed by the New Jersey
chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a non-profit advocacy group.
Phil Lubitz, the advocacy director for the local chapter, which has accepted
funding from drugmakers that sell antidepressants and antipsychotics, including
Abbott Labs, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Glaxo, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Wyeth
and Johnson & Johnson, didn't respond to a request for comment.


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25,249 Signatures Against TeenScreen. Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfU9puZQKBY

Petition:
English http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html
Spanish http://www.psychsearch.net/votos.html
Italian http://www.psychsearch.net/italiani.html
French http://www.psychsearch.net/francais.html


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