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More children are taking psychopharmacologic medications, despite uncertain efficacy and safety in many instances, as shown in study results in 2008.
Additional evidence surfaced of the substantial increase in antipsychotic prescriptions for children, this time from a U.K. study of 780,000 children younger than 18. The increase was smaller than in a similar U.S. study; from 1993 to 2002, such prescriptions increased by 36% in the U.K. and by 600% in the U.S. This difference might be attributable to the use of different measures: The U.K. study counted patients on antipsychotic medications, and the U.S. study counted visits involving these drugs. More than 50% of prescriptions in the U.K. for the 7- to 12-years age group were for nonpsychotic…