Many Patients Not Monitored for Drug Effects

Popular psychiatric medications such as Abilify, Risperdal and Zyprexa carry certain risks for heart disease and diabetes. That is why people taking these medications should have regular tests of their blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
A new study suggests, however, that many patients are not being monitored appropriately. Over 100,000 Medicaid patients were tracked between 2002 and 2005. Only 10 percent had cholesterol levels checked and less than one third had blood sugar measured. This low rate of testing persisted despite warnings from the FDA that the drugs carry substantial risks. The lead investigator recommends that patients and their families be proactive in requesting appropriate monitoring for these serious metabolic problems.
[Archives of General Psychiatry, Jan., 2010]