According to the Denver Post, Colorado will soon appoint a doctor to oversee the psychotropic drugs prescribed to foster care children. An entire staff of medical professionals has been added to next year’s budget, with a physician to head the committee to monitor prescription drug use.
There are currently only 10 states in the U.S. with no medical director to oversee the foster care system, Colorado being one of them. With the rising number of children needing medication because of the trauma in their lives, overseeing levels of medication is critical. In Colorado, about 25% of foster children were prescribed psychotropic drugs in 2012. The percent is higher among teens.
A state audit in August 2014 triggered the concerns about possible overuse of these prescription drugs. A budget committee is expected to hear the request by the end of the year.
