Reference no: EM132666742

Diana Thomas

Psychiatrists prescribing a potentially addictive sleep aid to adolescents

• Many parents are understandingly concerned about the use of habit form addictive drugs to treat their children. As a professorial it is important to talk openly with the parents about these concerns. Most clinician agrees that the child needs to be including in discussion. So, they can talk about the fears of the drug, how it makes one feel and the addiction. Parents need to devote a good deal of times addressing all the concerns of drug treatment. Among psychiatric medications there are two classes of drugs that a potential for drug abusers: stimulants (Ritalin) and benzodiazepines. (Xanax). However, most children do not use this type of medication. (Preson, 2017)

• According to Preston the normal rate of hepatic metabolism is high in children until puberty. The result is most medications are aggressively metabolized in the liver rapidly. So, dosing prepubertal children may require does that approach adults but needs severe monitoring. During this period the child who has maintained on a dosage and tolerating it well may begin to show signs of increasing side effects when the metabolic rate occurs. There would need to be continues medication dosages adjustments. It may be more appropriate to utilize non-pharmacological interventions.

A Systematic approach is advocated by The World Health Organization that says especially for children the physician should follow these steps:

Question 1: Evaluate and clearly define the patient's problem

Question 2: Specify the therapeutic objective

Question 3: Select the appropriate drug treatment

Question 4: Initiate therapy with appropriate details and consider non-pharmacologic therapy, melatonin, exercise, warm bath, warm milk, hot tub, story time, car ride

Question 5: Give information instructions and warning to parents, child and all involved

Question 6: Evaluate therapy regular, monitor treatment results

Question 7: Consider drug process and cost when prescribing and make sure family know what they are getting into financially