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Drug dosage doubled before girl live-streamed suicide

Posted at 7:53 AM, Mar 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-27 08:18:53-04

MIAMI (AP) - A month before a South Florida foster child live-streamed her suicide on Facebook Live, the dosage of an antidepressant given to her was doubled by a doctor.

The Associated Press says doctors prescribed Zoloft, the antidepressant, to 14-year-old Naika Venant. Zoloft has a critical warning that it increased the risk of suicide in children.

The drug had a "black box" warning that is U.S. Food and Drug Administration's strongest advisory.  

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 says that the agency doesn't prescribe medications for children in its custody, only doctors do.