Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Antipsychotic Drugs Overused For Dementia Patients
Federal investigators say they have found evidence of widespread overuse of psychiatric drugs by older Americans with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, and are recommending that Medicare officials take immediate action to reduce unnecessary prescriptions. (Pear, 3/1)
Twenty-nine percent of children taken from their families and placed in foster care failed to receive at least one required medical checkup, the Health and Human Services Department Office of the Inspector General said in a report out today. Such screenings can help spot health problems, including troubles with vision, hearing, development and mental health issues. Those exams are particularly important for children in foster care because some have suffered neglect, abuse and other problems that could affect their health.(Appleby, 3/2)