Some Good and Bad Medication News
We talked last week about Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRIs, specifically discussing what they are, why you might be hearing about them so much right now, and what our understanding of the science was. This week, we want to expand on that with a bit of a good news/bad news blog post.
The comments about SSRIs and the announcement by Secretary Kennedy that the Department of Health and Human Services would be re-evaluating them is the bad news. It is bad news because as we said last week, SSRIs are used by 13.2 percent of the general population and are used by many individuals both within and outside of the legal profession to manage their mental health conditions.
This is bad news that could get worse if the department takes adverse action against SSRI medications based on a different interpretation of the science. In our view, this would be an arbitrary and capricious decision that we would oppose. However, even if the department takes no action, it is already bad news because of the stigmatizing impact it could have by simply announcing that they were re-evaluating these medications.
However, a surprise bit of good news that came out recently was that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was eliminating the requirement that providers participate in the risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS) program for clozapine or report results of absolute neutrophil count (ANC) blood tests before pharmacies dispense clozapine.
Clozapine is a powerful anti-psychotic that has helped many manage the symptoms of psychosis While there are risks associated with clozapine that still exist, including the risk of severe neutropenia, the FDA took the advice or many mental health advocates and researchers to remove the REMS requirement. Ultimately, the decision to remove these requirements will remove certain barriers that made it more difficult for those in need to use the medication. As The LegalMind Society supports decisions that follow the science and reduce barriers to care, we applaud this decision.
A few points of note. First, although not required to monitor their ANC count and participate in the REMS program, the FDA still recommends occasional blood checks to ensure that the risk of severe neutropenia is reduced. Secondly, our regular reminder that we are not doctors and that nothing in these posts are intended to be medical advice. These posts are merely meant to be summaries of recent developments, with the intent of better educating our followers about these important issues. Ultimately, we recommend you consult your doctor about SSRIs, clozapine, or any other medication you might be considering.
And as always, if you need support, know that our peer support program is available. Email info@thelegalmindsociety.org to learn more or visit https://www.thelegalmindsociety.org/supportprograms to sign up.