Comment On: Bree Collaborative Draft Antipsychotics in Young People

Your feedback is requested on the Bree Collaborative's draft Pediatric Psychotropic Use Report and Recommendations. The workgroup will review all comments before submitting a final draft for review and approval by the Bree Collaborative. Please read the Report and Recommendations and give us feedback here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/PCXCRDW. We estimate that this survey will take 5-10 minutes to complete.

Among psychotropic medications prescribed to children and adolescent patients, antipsychotics have great potential for overuse. Antipsychotic prescribing rates have increased for pediatric patients and are associated with patient harms. These recommendations are for children and adolescents under 21 without an FDA-approved indication for antipsychotic use (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (manic/mixed) and irritability with autistic disorder) who may have aggressive, impulsive, and/or disruptive behaviors in the absence of psychosis. The recommendations highlight evidence-based best practices in:

1. Conducting an initial medical and psychological evaluation using appropriate assessment
2. Ensuring that the patient and family has access to comprehensive, family-centered psychosocial care whether within the primary care setting through integrated behavioral health care or through a supported referral
3. Using evidence-based, best practice antipsychotic prescribing recommendations such as from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
4. If antipsychotics are prescribed, managing side effects including monitoring for changes in weight blood glucose (HgA1C), cholesterol, and other metabolic changes (baseline and at regular intervals).

Feedback must be received by 5pm on Friday, October 28th.

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Read the Report and Recommendations

For more information or to give additional feedback, please contact Ginny Weir, Program Director of the Bree Collaborative at GWeir@qualityhealth.org or visit www.breecollaborative.org

Thank you in advance for your participation in this effort to improve health care quality, outcomes, and affordability in Washington State.