Helping Pediatricians Manage ADHD Drugs

The treatment of pediatric and adolescent Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder often falls to pediatricians due to limited pediatric psychiatry resources.

After a 4-year-old girl diagnosed with bipolar and hyperactivity disorders died as a result of an overdose of psychotropic drugs, the MassHealth Drug Utilization Review Board asked Clinical Pharmacy Services to evaluate the use of similar drugs among pediatric patients enrolled in Massachusetts Medicaid.

Our PrescriberEdu™ team conducted an evidence-based review of the treatment of ADHD in pediatric and adolescent patients, developed user-friendly educational materials, and then began visiting prescribers.

We supplied physician practices with transparent, professional, and unbiased academic detailing services. Our prescriber education team developed a complete program for the client:

• Created clinical and educational materials regarding the evidence-based treatment of pediatric and adolescent ADHD
• Vetted the materials through physicians within and outside of the UMass Medical School system
• Identified prescribers to visit, and then set up appointments to meet them
• Created surveys to assess satisfaction with the academic detailing program
• Developed a tracking system
• Created plan for outcomes reporting, due in mid-2012

Because we have thorough knowledge of the MassHealth system, we were able to present specific prior authorization information for the prescribers.