Cenpatico was invited to participate in the 2009 fall National Managed Markets Summit sponsored as a biannual event by Pinsonault Associates. This event was held at the beautiful La Costa Resort in Carlsbad California September 22-24.
Cenpatico was one of 60 industry leaders invited to conduct a breakout session on topics central to health care reform for the more than 300 attendees. The program faculty consisted of key decision-makers from diverse organizations: commercial payers, Pharmacy Benefit Management Organizations, Employer Coalitions, Specialty Pharmacy Organizations, Medicare (Commercial and Government), State Medicaid Agencies, Group Purchasing Organizations, and other leading industry experts.
Our presentation focused on psychotropic medication utilization for children. Increased use of psychotropic medications is a global phenomenon and part of the broader context of increased prescription use generally. As the use of medications for children and adolescents has increased, the viewpoints in public discussion have become increasingly polarized and shrill. Proponents of medication note that under-treatment of psychiatric disorders in children/adolescents leads to a waste of human potential and that long-term adverse effects of mental illness can be prevented if treated early while anti-medication activists claim that medications are supporting poor parenting and are simply used as a means of control, discipline or convenience without considering the risks and potential long-term side-effects.
Cenpatico presented the results of our Psychotropic Medication Utilization Review (PMUR) process for the Foster Care population in the State of Texas. The review uses the best practice parameters approved by the Texas Department of State Health Services in 2005, and subsequently adopted in some form by multiple other states (AZ, FLA, TN, CT). Key elements of the PMUR process include real-time tracking of prescription use for foster children, peer-peer interaction with prescribers, prescriber profiling and quality of care review as well as increased educational efforts regarding the best practice guidelines for prescribers.
The presentation addressed ways to increase accountability for prescribing safely, increasing continuity of care and appropriate exchange of information between all treating practitioners. Polypharmacy has been substantially reduced by these efforts in the Texas Foster Care STARHealth program and there are many promising interventions that can be considered for other populations as well.
Cindy Peterson
Vice President, Clinical Operations
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