How drug companies and doctors team up, leading to over-drugged foster children

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Podcasts Take Two

Dec 1, 2014

Listen • 5:55

How drug companies and doctors team up, leading to over-drugged foster children

Investigative reporter Karen de Sa traces the intricate network that brings together pharmaceutical drug companies with the doctors who are prescribing powerful psychotropic medication to foster children.

Olivia Hernandez, 22, a UCLA student, was photographed on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, at her home. She was prescribed as many as four psychiatric medications at a time as a foster youth in Ventura County.

Investigative reporter Karen de Sa traces the intricate network that brings together pharmaceutical drug companies with the doctors who are prescribing powerful psychotropic medication to foster children.

Children in California's foster care system are prescribed powerful psychotropic meds more than 3 times the rate of other kids.

It's the subject of a series of articles by investigative reporter Karen de Sa at the San Jose Mercury News.

Sometimes, these foster kids are on a cocktail of several drugs at one time, with some of those pills unapproved for use on minors.

In her latest installment, Karen traces the intricate network that brings together pharmaceutical drug companies with the doctors who are prescribing this medication.