House supports preferred drug list for treating mental illness

[Guest guest]

I wonder what SSRI's will be on this prefered drug list?

April 16, 2004, Friday, BC cycle

2:18 AM Eastern Time

SECTION: State and Regional

LENGTH: 419 words

HEADLINE: House supports preferred drug list for treating mental illness

BYLINE: By ANNE SAUNDERS, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: CONCORD, N.H.

BODY:

The House has approved plans to create a preferred drug list for treating

mental illness, but made it easier for doctors to get approval to prescribe

drugs not on the list.

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill had opposed the original

legislation, saying it would create hurdles for Medicaid patients who need

access to a broad range of medicines to treat illnesses such as schizophrenia,

bipolar disorder or major depression.

Allowing doctors to get automatic approvals for medicines not on the list is

an improvement over the original legislation, but the bill remains problematic,

said Cohen, head of NAMI-NH.

" Once you create a mechanism like this, the only purpose can be to control

things, " he said Thursday.

Doctors need identify only one from a list of reasons to prescribe a drug not

on the preferred drug list.

Gov. Craig Benson opposes the changes, saying they weaken the bill, but the

bill's prime sponsor Sen. Clegg said the House language helped clarify

the intent.

" I think they did a good job, " Clegg said.

The legislation, which will have to go back to the Senate, would establish a

committee to recommend drugs for inclusion on the list and require doctors to

get prior authorization if they wish to prescribe a different medication for

Medicaid patients.

That plan passed 200-163, but Rep. Fran Wendelboe, R-New Hampton, proposed

changes to make the approval of a doctor's request automatic.

That increased support for the bill, 262-99.

" There is no one-size-fits-all, " said Dr. ph , D-Durham. " Each drug

affects the brain differently. "

State Rep. Ruth Bleyler, D-Lyme, said her daughter went through 10 different

medicines before finding one that worked for her. " No one knows why one drug

works when it's seemingly so like another, " she said.

People with severe mental illness should not be forced to try medications if

a doctor has reason to believe they won't work, Wendelboe said.

The legislation has the support of Dr. Kassler, the state medical

director, who said the list will enable the state health department to negotiate

with drug companies for lower prices.

Supporters say saving money on psychiatric drugs will help preserve Medicaid.

Many supporters resented the suggestion that they were more interested in saving

money than providing the best care.

" If this were not a patient-friendly bill, I would not support it, " said Rep.

Batula, R-Merrimack, who was on the committee recommending it.

LOAD-DATE: April 16, 2004

[Guest guest]

I wonder what SSRI's will be on this prefered drug list?

April 16, 2004, Friday, BC cycle

2:18 AM Eastern Time

SECTION: State and Regional

LENGTH: 419 words

HEADLINE: House supports preferred drug list for treating mental illness

BYLINE: By ANNE SAUNDERS, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: CONCORD, N.H.

BODY:

The House has approved plans to create a preferred drug list for treating

mental illness, but made it easier for doctors to get approval to prescribe

drugs not on the list.

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill had opposed the original

legislation, saying it would create hurdles for Medicaid patients who need

access to a broad range of medicines to treat illnesses such as schizophrenia,

bipolar disorder or major depression.

Allowing doctors to get automatic approvals for medicines not on the list is

an improvement over the original legislation, but the bill remains problematic,

said Cohen, head of NAMI-NH.

" Once you create a mechanism like this, the only purpose can be to control

things, " he said Thursday.

Doctors need identify only one from a list of reasons to prescribe a drug not

on the preferred drug list.

Gov. Craig Benson opposes the changes, saying they weaken the bill, but the

bill's prime sponsor Sen. Clegg said the House language helped clarify

the intent.

" I think they did a good job, " Clegg said.

The legislation, which will have to go back to the Senate, would establish a

committee to recommend drugs for inclusion on the list and require doctors to

get prior authorization if they wish to prescribe a different medication for

Medicaid patients.

That plan passed 200-163, but Rep. Fran Wendelboe, R-New Hampton, proposed

changes to make the approval of a doctor's request automatic.

That increased support for the bill, 262-99.

" There is no one-size-fits-all, " said Dr. ph , D-Durham. " Each drug

affects the brain differently. "

State Rep. Ruth Bleyler, D-Lyme, said her daughter went through 10 different

medicines before finding one that worked for her. " No one knows why one drug

works when it's seemingly so like another, " she said.

People with severe mental illness should not be forced to try medications if

a doctor has reason to believe they won't work, Wendelboe said.

The legislation has the support of Dr. Kassler, the state medical

director, who said the list will enable the state health department to negotiate

with drug companies for lower prices.

Supporters say saving money on psychiatric drugs will help preserve Medicaid.

Many supporters resented the suggestion that they were more interested in saving

money than providing the best care.

" If this were not a patient-friendly bill, I would not support it, " said Rep.

Batula, R-Merrimack, who was on the committee recommending it.

LOAD-DATE: April 16, 2004

[Guest guest]

I wonder what SSRI's will be on this prefered drug list?

April 16, 2004, Friday, BC cycle

2:18 AM Eastern Time

SECTION: State and Regional

LENGTH: 419 words

HEADLINE: House supports preferred drug list for treating mental illness

BYLINE: By ANNE SAUNDERS, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: CONCORD, N.H.

BODY:

The House has approved plans to create a preferred drug list for treating

mental illness, but made it easier for doctors to get approval to prescribe

drugs not on the list.

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill had opposed the original

legislation, saying it would create hurdles for Medicaid patients who need

access to a broad range of medicines to treat illnesses such as schizophrenia,

bipolar disorder or major depression.

Allowing doctors to get automatic approvals for medicines not on the list is

an improvement over the original legislation, but the bill remains problematic,

said Cohen, head of NAMI-NH.

" Once you create a mechanism like this, the only purpose can be to control

things, " he said Thursday.

Doctors need identify only one from a list of reasons to prescribe a drug not

on the preferred drug list.

Gov. Craig Benson opposes the changes, saying they weaken the bill, but the

bill's prime sponsor Sen. Clegg said the House language helped clarify

the intent.

" I think they did a good job, " Clegg said.

The legislation, which will have to go back to the Senate, would establish a

committee to recommend drugs for inclusion on the list and require doctors to

get prior authorization if they wish to prescribe a different medication for

Medicaid patients.

That plan passed 200-163, but Rep. Fran Wendelboe, R-New Hampton, proposed

changes to make the approval of a doctor's request automatic.

That increased support for the bill, 262-99.

" There is no one-size-fits-all, " said Dr. ph , D-Durham. " Each drug

affects the brain differently. "

State Rep. Ruth Bleyler, D-Lyme, said her daughter went through 10 different

medicines before finding one that worked for her. " No one knows why one drug

works when it's seemingly so like another, " she said.

People with severe mental illness should not be forced to try medications if

a doctor has reason to believe they won't work, Wendelboe said.

The legislation has the support of Dr. Kassler, the state medical

director, who said the list will enable the state health department to negotiate

with drug companies for lower prices.

Supporters say saving money on psychiatric drugs will help preserve Medicaid.

Many supporters resented the suggestion that they were more interested in saving

money than providing the best care.

" If this were not a patient-friendly bill, I would not support it, " said Rep.

Batula, R-Merrimack, who was on the committee recommending it.

LOAD-DATE: April 16, 2004

[Guest guest]

I wonder what SSRI's will be on this prefered drug list?

April 16, 2004, Friday, BC cycle

2:18 AM Eastern Time

SECTION: State and Regional

LENGTH: 419 words

HEADLINE: House supports preferred drug list for treating mental illness

BYLINE: By ANNE SAUNDERS, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: CONCORD, N.H.

BODY:

The House has approved plans to create a preferred drug list for treating

mental illness, but made it easier for doctors to get approval to prescribe

drugs not on the list.

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill had opposed the original

legislation, saying it would create hurdles for Medicaid patients who need

access to a broad range of medicines to treat illnesses such as schizophrenia,

bipolar disorder or major depression.

Allowing doctors to get automatic approvals for medicines not on the list is

an improvement over the original legislation, but the bill remains problematic,

said Cohen, head of NAMI-NH.

" Once you create a mechanism like this, the only purpose can be to control

things, " he said Thursday.

Doctors need identify only one from a list of reasons to prescribe a drug not

on the preferred drug list.

Gov. Craig Benson opposes the changes, saying they weaken the bill, but the

bill's prime sponsor Sen. Clegg said the House language helped clarify

the intent.

" I think they did a good job, " Clegg said.

The legislation, which will have to go back to the Senate, would establish a

committee to recommend drugs for inclusion on the list and require doctors to

get prior authorization if they wish to prescribe a different medication for

Medicaid patients.

That plan passed 200-163, but Rep. Fran Wendelboe, R-New Hampton, proposed

changes to make the approval of a doctor's request automatic.

That increased support for the bill, 262-99.

" There is no one-size-fits-all, " said Dr. ph , D-Durham. " Each drug

affects the brain differently. "

State Rep. Ruth Bleyler, D-Lyme, said her daughter went through 10 different

medicines before finding one that worked for her. " No one knows why one drug

works when it's seemingly so like another, " she said.

People with severe mental illness should not be forced to try medications if

a doctor has reason to believe they won't work, Wendelboe said.

The legislation has the support of Dr. Kassler, the state medical

director, who said the list will enable the state health department to negotiate

with drug companies for lower prices.

Supporters say saving money on psychiatric drugs will help preserve Medicaid.

Many supporters resented the suggestion that they were more interested in saving

money than providing the best care.

" If this were not a patient-friendly bill, I would not support it, " said Rep.

Batula, R-Merrimack, who was on the committee recommending it.

LOAD-DATE: April 16, 2004