The overwhelming demand for mental health care and the shortage of providers specifically trained in it have left primary care providers (PCPs) on the front line of mental health services. 72% of the U.S. population lives in an area with a shortage of mental health professionals. Studies have found that PCPs treat 60% of people with depression and they write 79% of prescriptions for antidepressants. To help support this challenge, Wolters Kluwer Health announced the launch of Rx Transitions for Mental Health for UpToDate^® Pro. The medication management tool is designed to aid PCPs with prescription tapering and titration decision support and is now available with an UpToDate Pro subscription.

“PCPs have an increasingly central role in caring for patients with mental health challenges. Management is personalized, may be multimodal, and often involves pharmacological approaches. This can be difficult for time-pressed primary care providers, particularly since they may not always have specialized training,” said Dr. Peter Bonis, Chief Medical Officer, Wolters Kluwer Health. “We are committed to supporting PCPs with evidence-based decision support and are pleased to add Rx Transitions for Mental Health to help with the growing need for safe and effective mental health medication management.”

Helping clinicians reduce medication uncertainty at the point of care

Rx Transitions for Mental Health equips healthcare providers with detailed antidepressant switching decision support, for tapering off existing medications and titrating new ones. Clinicians can select from a range of medications and doses as well as the timeframe for transitioning between medications, to help them create a plan for guiding patients through the switching process. Medication transition schedules can be printed or copied into clinician notes, saving the clinician valuable transcribing time and enabling collaborative discussions with patients.

UpToDate Pro user Dianne Quibell, MD commented, “Polypharmacy is complex and pharmacodynamics would assist with an evidence-based approach. It’s hard to know if we should add [mental health] medication or switch. I always feel as if I am shooting from the hip.”

An organizational approach to mental health care

Wolters Kluwer Health also published a related Point of Care report geared for healthcare organizations administrators navigating dramatic shifts in today’s mental health services landscape. Topics in this issue include:

• Understanding health leaders’ role in improving access to mental health services
• Costs of unaddressed mental health care and potential returns with strategic investment
• Promoting an environment conducive to addressing mental health challenges
• Strategies for implementing and addressing mental health in primary care
• Supporting clinical and drug referential content within workflows

Download the “Mental Health in Primary Care” Point of Care report for more.