HEALTH REPORT - Spending Up for Behavior-Related Drugs for C

HEALTH REPORT - Spending Up for Behavior-Related Drugs for Children
By Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: Wednesday, May 26, 2004

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

More and more children take medicines to treat depression and other problems such as aggressiveness and lack of self-control. In fact, a new study says Americans spent more on behavior-related drugs for children last year than on antibiotics¹ or asthma² medicines. The research shows that spending increased seventy-seven percent between two-thousand and two-thousand-three.

One reason was increased use. The report says the number of children on behavioral drugs increased more than twenty percent. But these medicines also cost more than traditional drugs for problems like infections. And patients usually stay on behavioral medicines longer.

The report is by a company that administers³ drug plans for health care providers around the country. Medco Health Solutions studied the records of three-hundred-thousand young people up to age nineteen. It found that among children who take at least one medicine from their doctor, nearly nine percent are on a behavior-related drug. Medco says five percent of all children in the United States take behavioral medicine.

Some of the largest increases involve medicines to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder⁴. The study says spending for such drugs last year increased three-hundred-sixty-nine percent for children under age five. Companies have been developing new treatments for children who have difficulty learning and staying calm.

Also, Medco says spending for anti-depressants for children grew twenty-five percent between two-thousand and last year. Use of these drugs increased by twenty-seven percent.

Some parents say anti-depressants and other behavioral drugs have improved their children's lives. But others worry that too many young people are being given such medicines and that some drugs could be harmful.

In March, the United States Food and Drug Administration asked makers⁵ of anti-depressants to include a warning statement. The agency says health care providers should carefully observe adults and children who take these drugs.

Scientists are investigating the possibility that some patients might become more depressed⁶ and try to kill themselves. This might be especially true at the beginning of treatment or when the amount of medicine is increased or decreased.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Jerilyn Watson.

1 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

2 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

3 administers   

管理( administer的第三人称单数 )； 治理（国家）； 给予； 执行

参考例句：

• Physical exercise administers to the circulation of the blood. 体育锻炼有助于血液循环。
• Health administers to peace of mind. 健康有助于身心的安宁。

4 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

5 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。