Authority: Title 30, Chapter 18, Code of Virginia.

A. The Joint Commission on Health Care shall examine and identify strategies to ensure that the public is made fully aware of the risks and concerns related to the use of psychiatric medications that have dramatically increased over the last 25 years. The Commission shall identify methods: (i) to raise awareness of risks related to the mental and physical health side effects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication use and risks from potential drug addiction from ADHD medication use; (ii) to compile and track statistics regarding the number of children in Virginia schools who are diagnosed with ADHD or other categories such as “specific learning disabilities, other health impairment, multiple disorder, and emotional disturbances" in the most effective means possible; (iii) used by other states and countries to limit antipsychotic use and the best methods for developing similar systems in the Commonwealth, including approaches and interventions which focus on treatment, recovery, and legal penalties; and (iv) to identify the incidence and prevalence of prescribing anti-psychotics for off-label use by general physicians and psychiatrists for treatment of ADHD for which there is no FDA indication. The Joint Commission on Health Care shall complete its analysis according to the workload priorities set for Commission staff and report findings to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees no later than November 30, 2018.

B. The Joint Commission on Health Care shall study options for increasing the use of telemental health services in the Commonwealth. The Joint Commission on Health Care shall specifically study the issues and recommendations related to telemental health services set forth in the report of the Service System Structure and Financing Work Group of the Joint Subcommittee Studying Mental Health Services in the Commonwealth in the 21st Century. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Joint Commission on Health Care for this study, upon request. The Joint Commission on Health Care shall submit an interim report to the Joint Subcommittee Studying Mental Health Services in the Commonwealth in the 21st Century by November 1, 2017 and a final report of its findings to the Joint Subcommittee by November 1, 2018.