HHS Launches Plan to Curb Psychiatric Overprescribing, Drawing Mixed Reactions
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a plan in May 2026 to address what it calls psychiatric overprescribing. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the plan supports patient autonomy and a shift toward prevention. The American Psychiatric Association pushed back, saying the framing oversimplifies a complex problem.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a new action plan in May 2026 aimed at reducing what it describes as psychiatric overprescribing.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the plan is designed to support patient autonomy, require informed consent, and shift mental health care toward prevention. The plan focuses particularly on children.
Key steps include SAMHSA publishing a report on prescribing trends and hosting educational webinars for clinicians in June and July. The webinars will cover adverse effects of psychiatric medications, deprescribing approaches, and non-medication treatments. A Technical Expert Panel will convene in July to gather input from health professionals, patients, and government agencies.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has also issued guidance for physicians on how to bill for deprescribing services under Medicare.
The American Psychiatric Association responded with concern. The APA said framing the mental health crisis as primarily a prescribing problem oversimplifies a much larger issue. The organization pointed to access failures, workforce shortages, limited psychiatric beds, and fragmented care as the real drivers of poor outcomes.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention warned that abrupt or poorly managed deprescribing can increase the risk of symptom relapse and suicide. The AFSP called for individualized assessment and close follow-up in any deprescribing process.
