Psychopharmacological Screening Criteria Development Project

PSYCHOTROPIC medications compose one of the largest classes of prescription drugs in the United States, and they are used extensively by psychiatrists and nonpsychiatric physicians. 1,2 For this reason alone, assurance of proper prescribing practices has major public health implications. In addition, the desires of government agencies to assess the performance of health care programs they fund or operate has led to the development of several sets of psychopharmacological criteria at the federal, state, and local levels. 3-5 To provide a uniform set of scientifically accurate, professionally acceptable model screening criteria useful on a nationwide basis, the National Institute of Mental Health contracted with the American Psychiatric Association (APA). A task force comprising expert psychopharmacologists developed criteria that have been approved by the Peer Review Committee of the APA as applicable to general psychiatric practice. Comments on these criteria were also sought from members of the Committee on Professional Standards