How to promote communication between physical and mental health providers?
To overcome potential problems in prescribing drugs, one state has ensured that the same pharmacies are part of both the physical managed care plans’ and the behavioral managed care plans’ provider networks. Maryland generates lists daily of providers from whom each beneficiary is receiving services and makes sure the providers are aware of one another. • Use of pharmaceuticals. The use of formularies, prior authorization procedures, and increased co-payments all have adversely affected consumers’ ability to get needed psychiatric drugs. Consumer assistance programs can help document harm done and make policy makers aware of problems. Some states have exempted mental health drugs from prior authorization. Florida and Missouri are starting systems in which a third party reviewer outside of the managed care plan decides whether to approve use of a drug. Minnesota allows consumers to get a prescription filled once that requires prior authorization, and gives them notice that they must go
