Research conducted by PolicyLab at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia laid the groundwork for new statewide initiatives that aim to reduce the use of psychotropic medications among Pennsylvania children in the foster care system who are enrolled in Medicaid.
Antipsychotics are a powerful class of medications that increasingly have been prescribed to children to treat disruptive behaviors, particularly for those in foster care. The trend is a disturbing one that has the attention of Pennsylvania state officials.
Researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s PolicyLab recently published the largest study to date documenting the significant diabetes risk to children with a prescription for antipsychotics.