2015 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 132
BY SENATOR CLAITOR AND REPRESENTATIVE JACKSON
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to conduct a study on access
to psychiatric medications and the costs for nonaccess to such medications.
WHEREAS, in 2012 an estimated 42.5 million adults eighteen years of age or older
in the United States had a mental illness in the past year; and
WHEREAS, this represents 18.2 percent of United States adults; and
WHEREAS, in 2012 approximately 19.28 percent of adults age eighteen years of age
or older in Louisiana had a mental illness in the past year which is above the national
average during that same time period; and
WHEREAS, it is suggested that more than forty percent of mental health patients are
not compliant with their medications; and
WHEREAS, noncompliance can be a result of not fully understanding side effects,
lack of education about the medication, irregular attendance to clinic, and access to
medication; and
WHEREAS, access to medication may become a particular issue in Louisiana since
the Medicaid managed care organizations will manage behavioral health, including
pharmacy and medical, for Louisiana Medicaid recipients effective December 2015; and
WHEREAS, there will be five different formulary committees and may have
different access criteria to psychiatric medications that Medicaid patients are currently
stabilized on or needed to be started on; and
WHEREAS, noncompliance with atypical antipsychotics leads to hospitalization,
incarceration, suicide, loss of productivity, and other issues and problems.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to conduct a study on access to
psychiatric medications and the costs for nonaccess to such medications.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department report its findings to the Senate
and House committees on health and welfare on or before January 1, 2016.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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