Malpractice Case Claims Off-label Drug Prescription Caused Disability
A man seeking psychiatric care for depression and anxiety is suing his psychiatrist for the off-label use of the anti-psychotic drug Geodon alleging the drug is responsible for his diagnosis of extrapyramidal symptoms and tardive dyskinesia. Extrapyrmidal symptoms are movement disorders such as the inability to initiate movement or the inability to cease movement. Tardive Dyskinesia is a neurological disorder caused by the long-term use of neuroleptic drugs generally prescribed for psychiatric disorders. The geodon.com web site state that the Pfizer drug Geodon is approved “to treat acute mania and mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder” and approved to treat schizophrenia. The suit states that plaintiff Donald Moss continued the regimen of Geodon for two years, “even after plaintiff had a transient ischemic episode or minor stroke.” After Moss discontinued his use of the drug he began to experience dry eyes and later drooping of his eyelids that got so bad that he would have to pull them open to be able to see. The complaint states “More specifically, the prescribing of the anti-psychotic drug Geodon for depression was inappropriate medical care, the failure to first try the use of less dangerous drugs before use of an anti-psychotic such as Geodon was inappropriate, the prescribing of Geodon to a patient with plaintiff's 20 year history of diabetes mellitus was inappropriate, the failure to warn of the serious potential side effect was inappropriate, and prescribing the drug for the length of time and strength of dose prescribed was inappropriate for the plaintiff.” The plaintiff is seeking damages for loss of earning capacity, disfigurement, medical expenses and the loss of enjoyment of life.
