PolicyLab

PolicyLab’s recent report, “Psychotropic Medication Use by Pennsylvania Children in Foster Care and Enrolled in Medicaid” focused on the use of antipsychotics and polypharmacy among children and adolescents in Pennsylvania, given growing concerns about the safety and efficacy of psychotropic medications among youth. The report, developed in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and funded by Casey Family Programs, found that the use of antipsychotics was four times higher among youth in foster care (22%) than youth in Medicaid overall (5%). Referencing PolicyLab data in their new special investigation, PublicSource examined psychiatric medications prescribed to youth offenders at the state’s six juvenile correctional facilities over seven years. In their 3-part series, PublicSource highlight results from PolicyLab’s report and, in Part 3, discuss their findings with PolicyLab researcher, Meredith Matone, MHS. Meredith states that prescribing habits of individual doctors isn’t a driving factor in the overall issue of psychotropic medication use, rather physicians may rely on psychotropic medications in the absence of alternative therapies for children. To learn more, read PublicSource’s examination of psychotropic medications in youth correctional facilities here.