A month before a South Florida foster child live-streamed her suicide on Facebook Live, a doctor doubled her dosage of an antidepressant.
The Miami Herald reported Sunday that Zoloft was the antidepressant prescribed to 14-year-old Naika Venant, and it has a critical warning that it increases the risk of suicide in children.
The drug had a "black box" warning — the strongest advisory from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
A spokesman for Zoloft's parent company, Pfizer, says the black box warning includes a note to families and caregivers about monitoring patients for suicidal thoughts or unusual changes in behavior.
Florida Department of Children & Families Secretary Mike Carroll told the Herald that the agency doesn't prescribe medications for children in its custody, only doctors do.
SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
