On December 15, 2021, RealClear Health published Aimed Alliance’s article on non-medical switching titled Improving America’s Mental Health Starts with Consistent Treatment Access The article addresses how health plans can change their treatment coverage mid-year and force patients with mental health conditions to switch medications for non-medical reasons. This practice is known as non-medical switching, and can force stable patients to ration their medication, stop taking it altogether, or replace it with a less effective drug. This can be particularly harmful for patients with mental health conditions who may already experience challenges with medication adherence. Moreover, when stable patients are forced to stop taking their medication, studies show they experience worse health outcomes. For example, one study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that when stable patients with depression stopped taking their medication, they experienced increased rates of relapse. Fortunately, non-medical switching can be prevented. Lawmakers can take action to protect patients with mental health conditions by passing laws that prohibit non-medical switching for patients with mental health conditions and other complex diseases. The full article can be read here.
Last Updated on December 17, 2021 by Aimed Alliance
