Metabolic Syndrome was another thing up for discussion per my daughter's use of Zyprexa. Zyprexa is the evil twin of Seroquel. Both money-makers and eventually patients speak up enough so the use decreases.
Yes, doctors all have to report what meds they rx to people, due to tracking of abusing rx's.
That's how they are supposedly monitored, but I have to say, the tracking system stops there.
Also, on the note of Seattle Mental Health system in my daughter's case: the doc there uses Clozaril on 60% of his successful outpatients.
Private practice doc we see has ONE other patient, making my daughter TWO on Clozaril.
That's a surprising stat in my book.
I now am in both circles. Kept the SMH and use a private practice doc not involved with an state agency. It is 2 separate worlds.

The doctor was wise to disbelieve the research. Simply go to www.pubmed.com, which indexes abstracts of articles from thousands of medical journals. Then we can see what is really happening with Seroquel (quetiapine). Type in quetiapine and metabolic for the search terms, then browse through some abstracts. One does not need great expertise in stats (though it doesn't hurt) to see that several studies have linked its use to developing diabetes and gaining weight.

My guess is that the rep handed out an article by some big name academic author who is also paid by AstraZeneca as a "consultant," who wrote a paper saying that Seroquel is extremely safe. Better yet, the doctor may not have even written the article -- it may have been ghostwritten by someone hired by the drug comapny, then the doctor just puts his/her name in the author line. It's the intersection of academics and marketing and it is a BAD development!

Talked to a prominent doc myself.
Asked him "What do you think of Seroquel for Bipolar monotherapy or depression?"

psych doc:
" I have only been given patients discharged from hospitals on Seroquel with a combo of at least (2) mood stabilizers such as Depakote or Lithium."
"I do not prescribe Seroquel as monotherapy for Bipolar."