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MARQUETTE -- As we've learned more about pediatric care, more prescriptions have been developed for children.  These days there seems to be a magic pill for everything.

"Things that there didn't use to be any therapeutic availability of drugs for, we now have many options in a lot of cases," said Marquette pediatrician, Dr. Francis Darr.

Columbia University shows that the rates for antidepressant use among people, ages six and older, has nearly doubled since 1996.  But pediatricians warn us to exercise with caution.  Communication is key to see if prescription drugs are right for your little guy or girl.

Overly-active or passive children can commonly be mistaken for children with behavioral and psychological disorders, and it's important to gather as many details from educators and those who interact with your child as possible.  Misdiagnosis can have negative impacts on young people.

"If we are to be prescribing medications when they aren't needed, what you get is side effects without benefits.  So any decision we make in medicine, really any decision we make in life, should be based on a risk benefit analysis," Dr. Darr said.

And don't be shy with your doctor; come with lots of questions and demand answers.

Laura Butler told us on Facebook, "One thing I have learned and been told by my son's doctors is to question everyone and everything when it comes, not only to your kids, but yourself as well."

But despite national statistics, Marquette Area Public Schools say there are not many students who are administered prescription drugs on school grounds.  Of the more than 3,000 students spread throughout their district, only about 50 are administered medications during the day.  Part of the reason:  improvements in prescriptions.

"A lot of the medications now are long acting, so if they're long acting medications, they get them at home and we don't see them at school," said district nurse, Jeannette Wealton.

And before you consider prescriptions, consider your options.  While some pediatric conditions, like diabetes, must be addressed with drugs, others, like ADHD, have alternative options.  To see what's right for you and your child, contact your pediatrician.