Medication Restrictions Significantly Affect Mental Health Treatment Outcomes; New Survey Cites Formulary Restrictions, Prior Authorization And “Fail-First” Rules As Obstacles

A new study administered by the National Council for Behavioral Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and published in Psychiatric Services found many common insurance and state Medicaid policies may negatively impact patient health and impose a major workload on psychiatrists that takes time away from patient care and other important duties. More than 50 percent of psychiatrists surveyed practicing in community mental health centers pointed to formulary restrictions, prior authorization and step therapy protocols, or "fail first", as the most frequent roadblocks to prescribing an optimal treatment regimen. Three-quarters of psychiatrists spend more . . .