The Air Force Times (6/15, Kime) reports on the Pentagon’s removal of Seroquel (quetiapine) from its approved formulary list. The article cites Stan White, whose son, Marine Cpl. Andrew White, “died Feb. 12, 2008, at age 23 from a lethal combination of medications prescribed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mainly clonazepam, quetiapine and paroxetine — the latter two known to sometimes affect the heart’s regular rhythm.” The article reports that “questions have been raised over” quetiapine’s rise in popularity, noting that “in April 2010, manufacturer Astra-Zeneca agreed to pay $520 million to the federal government to settle a civil suit alleging that it illegally marketed Seroquel for a host of off-label uses such as Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, PTSD and sleeplessness.” Citing the AP, the article notes that “the Pentagon spent $8.6 million on the drug, while the Veterans Affairs Department spent $125.4 million.”
Related Links:
— “DoD cracks down on off-label drug use,”Patricia Kime, AirForce Times, June 14, 2012.