Pursuant to Item 285 B.2 of Chapter 725, the Boards of Medicine and Nursing convened a workgroup which met on August 20, 2025. The workgroup considered the required topics of the budget language, which were as follows:

1. Best practices regarding patient medication management for behavioral health medications in children and adolescents;

2. Provider-patient communication with respect to medication management; and

3. Provider availability when a child or adolescent is prescribed behavioral health medication.

The workgroup found that existing statutes and regulations adequately govern these issues. The workgroup determined that the implementation of the requirements in statutes and regulations should be left to the discretion of practitioners and individual business practices. The workgroup found that regulating these issues could be detrimental to healthcare. The workgroup additionally noted that these issues apply to all medications prescribed to all patient populations, and that it was not possible or prudent to carve out behavioral health medications prescribed to children and adolescents. The workgroup ultimately  recommended that the Board of Medicine send out an informational reminder to practitioners of statutory and regulatory requirements regarding medication management, patient communication, and closing a practice.

Workgroup Members:

Erin Barrett
Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Virginia Department of Health Professions

Jennifer Deschenes
Deputy Executive Director for Discipline, Virginia Board of Medicine

William L. Harp, MD
Executive Director, Virginia Board of Medicine

Laney Kortas
Parent

Claire Morris, RN, LNHA
Executive Director, Virginia Board of Nursing

Theresa “Tess" Searls
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Neil Sonenklar, MD
Psychiatrist, Interim Division Chair for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU