Texas: Foster care children over medicated with psychotropic drugs

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Mon, 4 Oct 2004 20:21:46 -0400

 

 

Texas: Foster care children over medicated with psychotropic

drugs: antidepressants and antipsychotics

 

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/localnews/news8/stories/wfaa041003_am\

_fosterdoc.36e7d808.html

 

Investigation into foster care doctor recommended

 

Link to pharmacy probed; physician denies wrongdoing

 

02:04 AM CDT on Monday, October 4, 2004

 

By SHELLEY KOFLER / WFAA-TV

 

Concerns over prescription drugs for foster children will take center

stage at an Austin hearing to be held Monday.

 

News 8 has information about one foster care doctor, and the state is

investigating.

 

Brain-altering psychotropic drugs and anti-depressants can have side

effects, including permanent twitching, irregular heartbeats and

suicidal tendencies.

 

Many have not been tested for children. But when News 8 looked at

Texas' own records, we found large expensive doses being prescribed

for foster children - up to 18 prescriptions in one month for a single

child.

 

In November 2003, just 40 doctors from more than 1,000 prescribed a

third of the medication for foster children. The average top

prescriber wrote 105 prescriptions valued at $11,000. But one doctor

stood out: Dr. Sharon Iglehart, a Houston psychiatrist, wrote 486

prescriptions that month worth more than $46,000.

 

Dr. Iglehart wrote at least 20 foster care prescriptions of Zyprexa, a

powerful psychotropic that costs more than $500 a month.

 

After a lot of cross referencing of documents, News 8 noticed

something else: Most of Dr. Iglehart's prescriptions were filled at a

single pharmacy.

 

State records show one building is Dr. Iglehart's primary place of

business. State records also show she's the corporate vice president

and part owner of a pharmacy which is also at that location.

 

Dr. Iglehart 's practice, Psychiatric Afflilates, shares a waiting

room with Whitfield's Pharmacy, which filled three-fourths of her

prescriptions.

 

" The conflict of interest is as broad as a barn, " said Jerry Boswell

of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a medical watchdog group.

 

Boswell's group questions whether there's a financial incentive for

the doctor to prescribe more.

 

By e-mail, Iglehart told News 8: " I am often pressured by providers to

aggressively medicate children in an attempt to control their

behavior. " But, she said she " tries to decrease the amounts of

medication prescribed by other physicians. "

 

Iglehart also told foster care clients she'll " discontinue any

corporate relationship with Whitfield's Pharmacy. "

 

However, the agency that oversees foster care is concerned.

 

" Absolutely, on the face of it it raises red flags, " said Stephanie

Goodman of Texas Health and Human Services.

 

Health officials have asked the state inspector general to

investigate. State officials said they don't know if Iglehart and

Pharmacist Steven Whitfield have broken any laws. Both said they've

done nothing wrong.

 

But, State Board of Pharmacy officials said a pharmacist can be

disciplined or lose his license if he shares compensation with a doctor.