Curiously, none of the above medications are on the Connecticut DCF list of approved/unapproved drugs listed in its DCF PMAC document.
With this in mind, Sheila Matthews contacted Dr Steven Kant and inquired as to whether any of the above drugs were approved by the Connecticut DCF for use in children.
Dr Kant replied:
... the answer to your question is not that straight forward.. . . Medications may be indicated by age and/or by specific treatment needs so it is not either a simply "yes" or "no." Also, some medications may have the age indication but for a totally different condition, such as anti epileptic condition... Also FDA indications are static; they do not change over time though medical practice is constantly evolving...
Contradicting the very document that lists Connecticut's approved and unapproved drugs, a "check-off" list that verifies the status of medications, Dr Kant replied, "I don't think a "check off" for each medication would work in terms of verifying their status."
With such an ambiguous response from Dr. Kant, we found the DCF Approved Medication List on the Internet. This particular version was revised in 2009.
It appears that the DCF has approved drugs for children that have not been approved for children by the FDA. In fact, the FDA has issued multiple advisories and alerts since 2004 about the increased risk of suicide in children, adolescents, and young adults up to age 25 who are treated with psychotropic medications.
And while Fluoxetine (Prozac) is the only medication approved by the FDA for use in treating depression in children ages 8 and older, it still carries a black box warning regarding the risk of suicide.
In contrast, the DCF seems to be ignoring the conclusions of the FDA. Its list of approved medication for children and adolescents includes every single antidepressant except paroxetine [Paxil] and venlafaxine [Effexor].
Forest Lab's citalopram [Celexa] - APPROVED
Forest Lab's escitalopram [Lexapro] - APPROVED
Solvay Pharmaceuticals' fluvoxamine [Luvox] - APPROVED
Pfizer's sertraline [Zoloft] - APPROVED
GlaxoSmithKline's bupropion [Wellbutrin -also marketed as an anti-smoking cessation drug under the name of Zyban] - APPROVED [1]
Alarmingly, the DCF has produced a guide entitled, "MEDICATIONS USED FOR BEHAVIORAL & EMOTIONAL DISORDERS - A GUIDE FOR PARENTS, FOSTER PARENTS, FAMILIES, YOUTH, CAREGIVERS, GUARDIANS, AND SOCIAL WORKERS" in which it writes, "Most of the side effects from the medications are mild and will lessen or go away after the first few weeks of treatment." The guide also points out possible side effects of SSRIs/SNRIs:
SSRIs and SNRIs:
