The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has announced that a study featured in the September issue of Psychiatric Services, an APA journal, has found that patients with mental illness with problems obtaining medications through Medicare Part D are more likely to visit a psychiatric emergency department.

According to an APA's press release, the new study examined medication access problems and use of services such as those provided in psychiatric emergency rooms and inpatient psychiatric units among patients among dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare benefits. Forty-four percent of the dually eligible patients studied found accessing medications problematic. Those with such problems were much more likely to utilize an emergency department, but not as likely to use inpatient psychiatric care.

The APA says about one-third of people in the U.S. dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid have a mental disorder of some type. Prescription medications are an important part of treatment for the disorders. In 2006, the APA reports, dually eligible people were required to receive prescriptions through Medicare Part D rather than Medicaid. That change has led to concerns because Part D drug plans can restrict drug choices and cause access problems in the vulnerable population of dually eligible people with mental illness.

"The findings raise concerns about potential offsets and possible negative effects on quality of care that should be examined," stated the study's lead author Haiden A. Huskamp, Ph.D with the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School.

The type of medication access problems that were documented in the study included patients being unable to access medication refills or new prescriptions because the drugs were not covered or approved, patients who had to switch to a different drug because a refill was not covered or approved and patients who suffering difficulties due to copayments.

Adapted from a press release by the APA.

More Industry Headlines