Racial and Ethnic Differences in Psychotropic Prescription Receipt Among Pediatric Patients Enrolled in North Carolina Medicaid

Objective: The authors aimed to examine racial-ethnic differences in filled psychotropic prescriptions among a pediatric Medicaid population. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients ages 0-21 with at least one North Carolina Medicaid claim from October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2018 (N=983,886). The primary outcome was a filled psychotropic prescription. Separate multivariable modified Poisson regression models generated adjusted risk ratios (ARRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for patient demographic characteristics. Results: Black and Hispanic patients were significantly less likely to receive any filled psychotropic prescription (ARR=0.61, 95% CI=0.60-0.62; ARR=0.29, 95% CI=0.28-0.29, respectively) compared with White and non-Hispanic patients. Furthermore, Black and Hispanic patients were less likely to receive filled prescriptions in the four included drug classes compared with White and non- Hispanic patients. Conclusions: Future studies should focus on understanding the factors contributing to racial and ethnic differences among pediatric patients receiving filled psychotropic prescriptions.