Surgeon General David Satcher recently turned his attention to the devastating problem of suicide.  He is launching an awareness, education and prevention campaign, particularly concerned with suicide among the young and the elderly.   The Surgeon General suggested, among other things, improving the ability of primary care physicians to diagnose depression, substance abuse and other major mental illnesses.  Satcher also recommended eliminating the insurance barriers to treat mental disorders more fairly and effectively.

Reboxetine  from Pharmacia & Upjohn has received an "approvable" letter from the FDA and  final approval is pending.  Final approval, however, may still be far in the future.  (The company currently estimates its availability in the US to begin sometime in December 1999.)  Reboxetine, if approved, would represent a new class of medication among the newer, more selective, medications.  It targets a different neurotransmitter, noradrenaline.  Early research suggests reboxetine may help patients with symptoms related to motivation energy level and drive.  Studies also suggest it, like the SSRIs, has a low side effect profile and a low toxicity in overdose.