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VERMONT PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION
Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting
May 20, 2004


 

Members Present:  Drs. Danielson, Fassler, Kalibat, and Weker; and Jessa Block, VMS.


Minutes:  The minutes of the April Executive Committee Meeting were approved.


Announcements:  

1. Media Training Seminar:  Jeff Toorish, media consultant and former television and newspaper correspondent will conduct a media training seminar for VPA members on Saturday, June 5 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Mist Grill in Waterbury. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Those interested in attending should contact Jessa Block at jblock@vtmd.org.

Secretary's note:  On May 6, Louisiana became the second state to enact a psychologist prescribing law. One state was a fluke; two states are a trend. The issue being used to drive this trend is inadequate patient access to psychiatric care; and what drives inadequate access to psychiatric care is the denigration of the psychiatric profession by such disparate forces as heavy-handed managed care suppression of adequate psychiatric treatment, decimation of state funding of outpatient and inpatient institutions, stigmatization of psychiatric patients and their illnesses, and the drying up of sources of appropriate remuneration. These have the cumulative effect of stripping our profession of its dignity and subjecting our patients to clinically unsound care.
To a degree never before realized, the future of our imperiled profession rests in our ability to make our case to legislators and the public. It will no longer be enough to be reactive to developments; it will be necessary to be comprehensively proactive. It will no longer be enough in Vermont to assume that someone else, be it the members of the VPA Executive Committee or others, will be able to accomplish this. Whether you like it or not this has become your fight. I urge as many of us as possible to attend this training seminar in order to learn how to convey our message. It's worth a Saturday morning and afternoon.

2. VPA Executive Committee Meeting Schedule for 2004-2005 (tentative):

a. Friday, July 23, 2004  (location to be determined)
b. Thursday, September 23, 2004:  afternoon/dinner meeting in Burlington (UVM residents to be invited)
c. Saturday, October 23:  Executive/Annual Fall Meeting (in conjunction with the Vermont Medical Society annual meeting); Wyndham Hotel, Burlington
d. Friday, November 19:  1:30-4:30 p.m. at Vermont Medical Society, Montpelier
e. Thursday, December 16:  Dinner Meeting (Upper Valley region; specific location to be determined)
f. Friday, January 21:  1:30-4:30 p.m., VMS, Montpelier
g. Friday, February 18: 1:30-4:30 p.m., VMS, Montpelier
h. Thursday, March 17: Dinner Meeting (southern Vermont; specific location to be determined)
i. Saturday, April 16:  Executive/Annual Meeting (location to be determined)


Reports:  

No reports were presented.


Old Business:

1. Legislative Update: Ms. Block presented the outcomes of some key issues in this legislative session, which ended yesterday:

a. S. 288 Prescription Policies and Procedures in Vermont: This bill was passed as part of the budget bill and includes the following provisions:

i. Requires PATH (Department of Prevention, Assistance, Transitions and Health Access) to create a program for prescribers providing information about generic alternatives that circumvents the marketing efforts of pharmaceutical companies.

ii. Extended the Medicaid Formulary Exemption for Medications for the Severe and Persistently Mentally Ill through July 1, 2006. PATH is required to do a report on prescribing patterns, literature and testimony about efficacy and outcomes of medications used to treat mental illness. One specific requirement placed upon the PATH report is to assess a program in Missouri that utilizes an exclusively psychotropic-medication pharmacy benefits manager.

iii. Direct PATH to establish a program that would excludes physicians who adhere to the preferred drug list a high percentage of the time from having to obtain prior authorization for off-formulary medications.

b. Medical Marijuana:  The bill passed by the Legislature originated in the House. Patients with specific diagnoses (cancer, MS and HIV AIDS) will apply to the Department of Public Safety, which will contact the patient's physician to verify that there is a bona fide physician-patient relationship and that the medical record is accurate. If approved, the patient or caregiver will be allowed to either grow or purchase a specified amount of marijuana.

c. Legislative Studies: the Legislature created three study groups related to mental health, including:

i. "Designated Agencies": study the future viability and stability of the community mental health centers.

ii. VSH:  study the future of state hospital functions.

iii. Corrections: to plan for the delivery of providing mental health services on an ongoing basis.


New Business:

1. Preview of Priorities for the VPA During the Upcoming Year: The Executive Committee considered key issues for the upcoming year. These included:

a. Access to Care

b. State Hospital and Community Mental Health Center psychiatric

c. Psychology Prescribing

d. Membership Recruitment and Retention


The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Jonathan L. Weker, M.D.

The next VPA Executive Committee will be held on Friday, July 23; location to be determined