Antipsychotic Prescribing to Children: An In-Depth Look at Foster Care and Medicaid Populations

Antipsychotic prescribing to children has grown at a greater rate than all other psychotropics.1, 2 Children enrolled in the Medicaid program have been disproportionately prescribed antipsychotics compared to children who are commercially insured, and children in foster care are prescribed antipsychotics at a rate three-fold higher than children in Medicaid overall.2 At the same time, there is wide variation in the rates of antipsychotic prescribing to children across states, which differ in how they structure their child welfare agencies, administer and deliver their Medicaid mental health services and monitor antipsychotic prescribing.