Prozac, Families and the Law: Implications for Social Work Practice

Prozac has been on the market for more than ten years and has become one of the most heavily utilized medications in the United States; approximately 17 million prescriptions have been written. Along with its popularity, there have been a multitude of legal cases citing the use of Prozac to explain a variety of behaviors. Social workers in clinical practice need to understand the legal implications of having clients who are taking the medication. Twenty-eight appellate court cases involving families and Prozac between 1991 and 1997 are reviewed and clinical practice implications are discussed.