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Wash. Rev. Code § 74.09.490

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Children's mental health — Improving medication management and care coordination

The Washington state health care authority must consult with the evidence-based practice institute in order to establish policies for improving (1) prescribing practices for treatment of behavioral disturbances in children; (2) the quality of children’s mental health therapy; and (3) communication and care coordination between primary care and mental health providers. The authority and institute should also establish policies for prioritizing home care or out of home care that “integrates the family.” 

he authority must create mechanisms for monitoring the appropriateness of prescriptions given to children with emotional and behavioral disturbances that are at risk because of their use of off-label, multiple, or high dosage medications or the lack of coordination. These mechanisms may include the use of second opinions from child psychiatry experts.

The authority must review the appropriateness of all psychotropic medications prescribed to children under the age of five.

The authority must track prescriptions of psychotropic medications in order to reduce their use.

The authority must encourage the use of evidence-based therapies as alternatives or complements to medications.


Current as of June 2015