Use of Psychoactive Medication in Texas Foster Children State Fiscal Year 2005

This report outlines an additional analysis that has been done on prescribing psychoactive medication to Texas foster children for state fiscal year 2005 (September 1, 2004 through August 31, 2005). The Texas Departments of Health and Human Services Commission, State Health Services, and Family and Protective Services conducted this analysis because psychoactive medication prescribing to foster children continues to be higher on average than to other Medicaid children.

Of 37,052 foster children ages 0-17 who were eligible for Texas Medicaid at some point during fiscal year (FY) 2005, 12,842 (34.7%) received a psychoactive medication, and 9,740 (26.3%) received a psychoactive medication for at least 60 consecutive days. The use of psychoactive medication increases with age, from less than one percent of foster children under age three to 51.8% of foster children ages 13-17. The most frequent diagnosis (70.7%) across all age groups was attention deficit disorder.