Zyprexa

"In some cases it appears that CMS is just not serious about its own transition policies," Muszynski said.

"Another serious concern we are having is that the exceptions and appeals process is one sided and in disarray." In many parts of the country, states have stepped in to assume the costs of prescription drugs for dual eligibles who have not been able to receive necessary medications in a timely fashion (Psychiatric News, February 3).

That appears to have provided at least temporary relief for what Massachusetts psychiatrist Andrea Stone, M.D., had described as "pandemonium" in the first weeks of January.

But she told Psychiatric News that problems persist, and some are likely to recur since states are providing only temporary coverage.

"When Mass Health stepped in [to assume costs of medications for beneficiaries unable to receive them] there was an immediate improvement in the overall situation," she said.

"At this point most people are getting their medications through their Medicare plans, but sporadic problems exist.

A patient was told by her insurer that all of her medications would require prior authorization.

In fact, none did.

Another patient cannot get her ID number, which means she can't get her meds.

She was on ...

Tyler belongs to the increasing number of American teenagers who have used prescription psychiatric drugs.

According to a 2005 Gallup Youth Survey of 13- to 17-year-olds, nine percent of U.S.

teens have been prescribed medication for depression, while four percent have prescriptions for anxiety and 10 percent have prescriptions for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

These prescriptions can open the door to a better life but at a cost that some Blazers are not willing to pay.

100 mg of happiness When Alex, a junior, started showing signs of depression in seventh grade, his mother, who suffers from an anxiety disorder, hesitated to seek professional help.

Her late sister had been schizophrenic and suicidal, and she feared that her son had inherited the same traits that drove her sister to kill herself.

Last summer, however, Alex's mother started taking Zoloft at her doctor's suggestion.

It lessened her anxiety, reduced the frequency of her panic attacks and allowed her to come face-to-face with her son's condition, so she took Alex to get a prescription at the start of the school year.

By November, Alex's perspective on life began to change.

Before he started taking Zoloft,...

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