Policies That Limit Antipsychotic Prescriptions to Children on Medicaid

Increases in Medicaid prescriptions of antipsychotics to children (NEJM JW Psychiatry Jul 2006 and Arch Gen Psychiatry 2006; 63:679) have led 31 states to develop policies for prior authorization of antipsychotic prescriptions. These authors describe the state of these Medicaid policies.

In 24 states, age-restriction criteria were for ages ≤5, 6, or 7 years. Seven other states have policies for children <18 years. Fifteen states have peer-review authorization, which involves clinicians (often, psychiatrists); 16 states use automated systems or nonphysician review.