Report 2015-131 Recommendation 32 Responses

Report 2015-131: California's Foster Care System: The State and Counties Have Failed to Adequately Oversee the Prescription of Psychotropic Medications to Children in Foster Care (Release Date: August 2016)

Recommendation #32 To: Health Care Services, Department of

To ensure that the Medical Board can promptly complete its analysis to identify physicians who may have inappropriately prescribed psychotropic medications to foster children, Social Services and Health Care Services should continue to work with the Medical Board and its consultant to meet their data needs. If the Medical Board's analysis is able to identify these physicians, Social Services and Health Care Services should enter into an agreement with the Medical Board to provide the information the Medical Board needs to perform similar analyses in the future.

6-Month Agency Response

DHCS has worked with CDSS and the Medical Board of California (MBC) to extend the Data Use Agreement. DHCS will have provided 2015 data to the MBC by February 28, 2017.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Resolved

60-Day Agency Response

DHCS and CDSS provided additional data to the Medical Board as requested by the Medical Board under an existing Data Use Agreement. DHCS will provide data, to the extent that it is data that DHCS has, to the Medical Board beyond the initial evaluation if the Medical Board requests it.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Partially Implemented

The Medical Board of California confirmed the receipt of additional data from the Departments of Health Care Services and Social Services to further its current analysis. The enactment of SB 1174 (Chapter 840, Statutes of 2016) addresses future data sharing among these entities. SB 1174's provisions become effective January 1, 2017.

All Recommendations in 2015-131

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.