Hyperactivity

...ba href=/hyperactivity/a/b disorder should not carry strong ''black-box'' warnings about potential cardiovascular and psychiatric risks.

Rather, the Food and Drug Administration pediatric advisory committee recommended that the drug labels include warning language written so people can understand it.

''I wouldn't use the word 'tougher,'" said panel chairman Dr.

Robert Nelson, of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

'''Clearer.''' By rejecting the black-box warnings in a consensus decision, the advisory panel broke with another committee that voted just last month to include them on some ADHD drugs.

The FDA was poised Wednesday to follow the more recent recommendations.

''I think we are likely to follow them, yes,'' said Dr.

Robert Temple, director of the FDA's office of medical policy, following the meeting.

Nearly 3.3 million Americans age 19 and younger used an ADHD drug last year, according to Medco Health Solutions Inc.

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...ba href=/hyperactivity/a/b disorder should not carry strong "black box" warnings about potential cardiovascular and psychiatric risks.

Rather, the Food and Drug Administration advisory committee recommended that the drug labels be written so people can understand them.

"I wouldn't use the word 'tougher,' said panel chair Dr.

Robert Nelson.

"'Clearer.'" By voting against the black box warnings, the pediatric advisory panel broke with another committee that voted just last month to include them on the drugs' labels.

The agency now has two competing recommendations to choose from, illustrating divisions in the medical community about the risks associated with ADHD drugs, which are widely used.

Fewer docs give free care to poor WASHINGTON - The percentage of physicians who provide free care to the poor has dropped over the past decade, signaling a growing problem for the uninsured, a survey suggests.

About three-quarters of physicians provided charity care in the mid-1990s, compared with about two-thirds now, according to a study being released today by the Center for Studying Health System Change.

The numbers have declined across all major specialties.

The highest rate of free care, 78.8 percent, comes from surgeons, perhaps because many of these doctors treat uninsured patients in emergency rooms.

Just over 60 percent of pediatricians provided free care, the lowest rate among the specialties.

That could be because children are more likely than adults to have insurance coverage.

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...ba href=/hyperactivity/a/b disorder should not carry strong "black box" warnings about potential cardiovascular and psychiatric risks.

Rather, the Food and Drug Administration advisory committee recommended that the drug labels be written so people can understand them.

"I wouldn't use the word 'tougher,' " said Dr.

Robert Nelson, panel chairman.

" 'Clearer.' " By rejecting the black-box warnings in a consensus decision, the advisory panel broke with another committee that voted just last month to include them on some ADHD drugs.

advertisement The agency isn't required to follow the advice of its advisory committees but usually does.

Nearly 3.3 million Americans age 19 and younger used an ADHD drug last year, according to Medco Health Solutions Inc., a prescription-drug benefit-program manager.

Psychiatrists and others had urged the committee to move cautiously before recommending strengthened warnings of heart attacks, hallucinations and other potential risks associated with the drugs.

In February, the FDA's Drug Safety and Risk Management advisory committee voted to recommend the agency add the strongest possible warning to some of the drugs, in that case to alert doctors, patients and parents of the uncertainty regarding the risk they may pose to the cardiovascular system.

The FDA then asked the pediatric panel to examine that same issue, as well as reports that psychosis or mania can occur in some juvenile patients at normal doses of any ADHD drug.

Adding black-box warnings to some or ...