Posted by med_empowered on January 31, 2005, at 22:57:35 [reposted on February 1, 2005, at 21:12:58 | original URL]
In reply to Psychiatric laws/practices? Pending lawsuits?, posted by MM on January 31, 2005, at 19:28:40
hey! I'm interested in this as well; it seems that, all too often, psychiatrists are allowed to act with relative impunity. Anyway, the big lawsuits that are coming out right now, from what I've seen, regard the atypicals. People are starting to get tardive dyskinesia when they weren't informed of this risk (some states DO require written, informed consent of the patient, but many doctors still neglect this aspect of treatment) and some atypicals, especially Zyprexa (or so it seems) are the basis of lawsuits from people developing diabetes and heart problems due in large part to the incredible weight gain and blood-sugar elevation some people experience on the atypicals. Shrinks, I believe, have been named in a few of these as well, again along the lines that more information should have been given to the patient BEFORE the medication was even administered (I have to wholeheartedly agree). Recently, a bipolar woman in the US won a $3 million dollar lawsuit against her former shrink, who had RX'd risperdal without informing her of the TD risks. Well, she developed severe TD (she has difficulty walking, I think) and sued her shrink. Interestingly enough, it is my understanding that the APA, the American Psychiatric Association, has actively opposed all calls for shrinks to be legally obligated to obtain INFORMED consent from patients prior to administration of potentially dangerous drugs such as neuroleptics. The APA also supports the involutary use of electroshock/ECT treatments. Good luck!
poster:med_empowered
thread:451353
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050128/msgs/451354.html