Issue Brief: Access to Mental Health Care Matters

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References are located at the bottom of this page.

LACK OF ACCESS TO CARE IS THE ROOT CAUSE FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN THE U.S. Demand for mental health services is greater than ever and services are not keeping pace. Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA)-Mental Health HPSA Scores are developed for use by the National Health Service Corps to determine priorities for the assignment of clinicians. Scores range from 1 to 25 for primary care and mental health. The higher the score, the greater the priority. Psychiatric Pharmacists Increase Access and Improve Patient Outcomes Psychiatric pharmacists are qualified to provide direct patient care through advanced training, experience, and board certification. Utilizing psychiatric pharmacists for medication management increases availability to psychiatrists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners resulting in decreased wait times for appointments. Patients treated by a psychiatric pharmacist have improved outcomes including: • Consistency in taking medications • Improved symptoms • Higher satisfaction • Fewer primary care physician visits. Patients deserve the high-quality, evidence- based care psychiatric pharmacists provide. This care, like care provided by other types of health care providers, should be reimbursed. CPNP urges federal policymakers to support legislation to: Require CMS and other payers to pay for services provided by psychiatric pharmacists. Expand the mental health and substance use disorder treatment workforce through integration of psychiatric pharmacists. Increase adoption of innovative care and payment models that integrate behavioral health and primary care services.

References

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  2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2022 and 2023 [Internet]. [cited 2024 Sep 24]. Available from: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-detailed-tables.
  3. National Alliance on Mental Illness [Internet]. [cited 2024 Sep 24]. Mental Health By the Numbers. Available from: https://www.nami.org/mhstats.
  4. United States Department of Health & Human Services Health Resources & Service Administration (HRSA) [Internet]. [cited 2024 Sep 24] Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) – Mental Health. Available from: https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas.
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  9. Jessica L. Ho, PharmD, BCPP, BCPS; Jenna Roberts, PharmD, BCPP; Gregory H. Payne, MBA, CAE; Dorothy N. Holzum, PharmD, BCPP, BCPS; Hannah Wilkoff, PharmD, BCPP; Tran Tran, PharmD, BCPS; Carla D. Cobb, PharmD, BCPP; Tera D. Moore, PharmD, BCACP; Kelly C. Lee, PharmD, MAS, BCPP. Mental Health Clinician (2024) 14 (1): 33–67. https://doi.org/10.9740/mhc.2024.02.033