SB 1174: Medi-Cal: children: prescribing patterns: psychotropic medications.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, among other things provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California. Under existing law, the boards responsibilities include enforcement of the disciplinary and criminal provisions of the act.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services, including early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment for any individual under 21 years of age. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law establishes a statewide system of child welfare services, administered by the State Department of Social Services, with the intent that all children are entitled to be safe and free from abuse and neglect.

This bill would, until January 1, 2027, require the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department of Social Services, pursuant to a specified data-sharing agreement, to provide the Medical Board of California with information regarding Medi-Cal physicians and their prescribing patterns of psychotropic medications and related services for specified children and minors placed in foster care using data provided by the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department of Social Services, as prescribed. The bill would require that the data concerning psychotropic medications and related services be drawn from existing data sources maintained by the departments and shared pursuant to a data-sharing agreement and would require that, every 5 years, the board, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Social Services consult and revise the methodology, if determined to be necessary. The bill would require the board to contract for consulting services from, if available, a psychiatrist who has expertise and specializes in pediatric care for the purpose of reviewing the data provided to the board. Commencing July 1, 2017, the bill would require the board to report annually to the Legislature, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Social Services the results of the analysis of the data. The bill would, until January 1, 2027, require the board to review the data in order to determine if any potential violations of law or excessive prescribing of psychotropic medications inconsistent with the standard of care exist and conduct an investigation, if warranted, and would require the board to take disciplinary action, as specified. The bill would require the board, on or before January 1, 2022, to conduct an internal review of those activities and to revise procedures relating to those activities, if determined to be necessary. The bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to disseminate treatment guidelines on an annual basis through its existing communications with Medi-Cal providers, as specified. The bill would require the board to handle on a priority basis investigations of repeated acts of excessive prescribing, furnishing, or administering psychotropic medications to a minor, as specified.