New prior authorization clinical criteria for concurrent benzodiazepines (3 or more) and antipsychotic safety dosing limits will be effective June 1, 2016. The criteria were developed by the Kansas Mental Health Medication Advisory Committee (MHMAC) and approved by the Kansas Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board. The purpose of the criteria is to ensure safe access to mental health drugs for patients. Prior authorization will be used to limit the number of individual antipsychotics used concurrently for greater than 60 days to a maximum of 2 oral/injectable medications or 1 injectable formulation in adults; and greater than 120 days to a maximum of 2 medications in the pediatric population before a prior authorization is required. All three managed care organizations will be implementing these criteria.
