Feb 5th, 2010 · Roughly 27 million Americans took prescription antidepressants in 2005, making them the most commonly prescribed class of medications in America. Ira Flatow and guests discuss depression, from how it's diagnosed and treated to how antidepressants stack up against psychotherapy and placebos.
Jan 6th, 2010 · Antidepressant drugs — like many medications — are tested primarily in people with major depressive illness, yet they also are prescribed for those who have mild to moderate symptoms. A recent study found that for those with mild or moderate depression, drugs have an effect similar to a placebo.
Jan 4th, 2010 · While the safety of antipsychotic and antidepressants drugs has been debated in children, this is one of the first studies to look at trends over time of prescribing multiple psychiatric drugs to adults. The authors found that patients are commonly prescribed untested combinations of drugs, where the efficacy and possible side effects of the combos are unknown.
Jan 1st, 2010 · Montana is in line to become the third state to permit physicians to assist terminally ill people who wish to end their lives. The Montana Supreme Court ruled Thursday that there is nothing in state law to prevent physicians from prescribing lethal drugs to mentally competent, terminally ill patients.
Oct 21st, 2009 · A cheap generic drug could improve the prospects for hospitalized heart failure patients, but doctors aren't prescribing it about two-thirds of the time.
Aug 4th, 2009 · Antidepressants have surpassed blood pressure pills as the most prescribed drugs in the land.
May 15th, 2009 · Pfizer Inc. announced Thursday it will give away more than 70 of its most widely prescribed drugs, including Lipitor and Viagra, for up to a year to people who have lost jobs since Jan. 1 and have been taking the drug for three months or more.
Apr 20th, 2009 · Drugs prescribed for attention deficit disorder, narcolepsy, epilepsy and other conditions are being used by people who don't need them, in an effort to enhance brain function. Journalist Margaret Talbot discusses the trend.