July 15, 2010

Report and Resource Guide on Antipsychotic Medication Use in Medicaid Children and Adolescents

This report released by the Medicaid Medical Directors Learning Network and the Rutgers Center for Education and Research on Mental Health Therapeutics includes findings from 2004 to 2007. The researchers evaluated four years of pharmacy claims for about 12 million children under age 18 enrolled in Medicaid fee-for-service programs in 16 states. The study was focused on antipsychotic medications, but also captured claims for most prescriptions for other mental health drugs, such as those for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, and others. The participating states were Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.