The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced efforts to curb psychiatric overprescribing at a MAHA Institute summit on mental health and overmedicalization. HHS agencies are bringing together their collective expertise and aligning to evaluate prescription patterns for psychiatric medications, their benefits and potential harms, and elevate the role of nonmedication treatments and scalable, evidence-based solutions to improve mental health. In a Dear Colleague Letter (PDF | 322 KB), HHS encourages providers to prioritize informed consent and shared decision-making, and to regularly review the risks and benefits of psychiatric medications with patients. The letter highlights nonmedication approaches, such as family support, psychotherapy, nutrition, and physical activity when clinically appropriate. Providers can also find information in the letter on billing codes that can be used to support the delivery of evidence-based nonmedication treatments.
In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance for physicians and other practitioners on the importance of deprescribing and related medical care. This guidance clarifies how physicians and other practitioners can be paid for this type of care under Medicare, and also directs clinicians to widely recognized resources for deprescribing, including professional society guidelines, peer-reviewed deprescribing protocols, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instructions for taper schedules.
AAPP is monitoring this plan and its implementation alongside its coalition partners. Danielle Stutzman will be representing psychiatric pharmacy and evidence-based practice on a SAMHSA led Technical Expert Panel intended to gather input from health professionals, patients and family, government agencies, and professional societies to inform the development of formal HHS clinical guidance on the appropriate use of psychiatric medications and tapering and discontinuation.