- An FDA Law Professor breaks down what could happen.
- Dr. Farha Abbasi at McLaren says medication is not a threat.
- Video shows neighbors expressing concern over President Trump's executive order.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"I don't know of any parent who has put their child on medication without trying all the other measures first," said neighbor Rebecca Kasen.
I met Kasen when I was out on a previous story. She wanted to talk to me about an executive order from President Trump on "Make America Healthy Again."
She was concerned about what the order could mean for her daughter Leia, who struggles with social anxiety.
"If we were to take away her medication, there would be no more karate, there would be no more being a leader at school," Kasen said.
The executive order on "Make America Healthy Again" states in part that President Trump wants a report that looks at "the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of [SSRIs]" — a group of antidepressants.
With the executive order, Kasen's worry is that Leia could no longer have access to an SSRI she takes called Lexapro.
"Medication is there when all the other stuff is not enough," Kasen said.
I listened to Kasen's concerns and also wanted to get the perspective of a psychiatrist in my neighborhood.
I spoke with Dr. Farha Abbasi at McLaren, who tells me she's all for helping improve neighbors' health but believes medication is not a threat.
"What we know especially in children, if they're depressed, if you're not providing clinical support, they turn towards alcohol, marijuana and other street drugs," Abbasi said.
Abbassi said she's worried about what this executive order could mean, especially for children.
"As a provider, I'm definitely concerned," Abbasi said.
After I talked with Kasen and Dr. Abbasi, I wanted to know if medication like Lexapro could actually be taken off the market by the Trump administration.
I contacted the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA, several times over the last few weeks. I didn't hear back.
But I still wanted to know whether the medicine going off the market is even a possibility.
So, I reached out to a professor who specializes in the law surrounding the FDA.
"This administration is saying there's a hunger for the evaluation of these drugs and that's exactly what they will be doing," said Ana Santos Rutschman, who teaches at Villanova University.
She tells me that these drugs could be taken away, but there would be specific steps.
"There is a process for FDA to remove things from the market, but only if there is scientific data that the drug is not safe or effective," Rutschman said.
For now, the Kasens are hoping SSRIs don't go away, as they tell me without it, Leia wouldn't be where she is now.
"Leia's in general education with no support at the moment," Kasen said. "That wasn't the reality a year ago."
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