Spillovers and Training Effects on Mental Health Prescribing for Children

Abstract

We use data on all prescriptions filled at U.S. retail pharmacies from 2006-2018 to examine deviations from best practice in the prescription of psychiatric medications to children. The results demonstrate the importance of spillovers from other doctors in the same area. However, individual doctor fixed effects remain extremely important. We also show that the practice styles of doctors who graduated in the same year from schools of the same rank evolve in a similar way across the country. Psychiatrists are less affected by area-level prescribing than general practitioners suggesting that specific training can reduce spillovers in questionable prescribing practices.