Friday, March 07, 2003

NAMI and NMHA Raise Serious Concerns Over Multi-State Restrictions on Medications in Medicaid
NMHA press release - " Fiscal crisis continues to lead states toward penny-wise but pound-foolish policy choices. A handful of states are considering pooling their purchasing power to negotiate lower prices from pharmaceutical companies for medications in Medicaid. While our organizations understand that states must make tough decisions in the face of the current budget crisis, these programs may jeopardize consumer health if they restrict access to needed medications."  
  

Moving beyond single and dual diagnosis in general practice
Editorial in the British Medical Journal - "The awkward phrase 'multiple morbidity' describes the common predicament of the many patients who have more than one health problem. Such patients are disproportionately represented among populations that are socioeconomically deprived and elderly. ... Examples from mental health show that provision of service in this field has been slow to move from single diagnosis to dual diagnosis.4 Dual diagnosis applies to patients who have a mental health problem and problematic substance or alcohol use. A recent report on dual diagnosis from the Department of Health highlighted the role that primary care had in ensuring adequate care pathways for patients with mental health problems, drug problems, and related physical problems such as infection with hepatitis B or C virus or HIV."  
  

A Welfare-to-Work Study Finds No Harm to Children
New York Times story - "Poor children suffer no psychological damage when their mothers move from welfare to work, as millions of women have in recent years, a major new study says. Among adolescents in such families, the researchers say, mental health may actually have improved." [Viewing New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].