Colorado Revised Statutes Title 27. Behavioral Health § 27-70-101. Legislative declaration

(a) The lack of medication consistency for individuals with behavioral or mental health disorders who are involved in the criminal and juvenile justice systems creates additional, often serious, problems for these individuals;

(b) It is critical that the state increase the likelihood that a broad spectrum of effective medications, including psychotropic medications, are available to these individuals, regardless of setting or service provider;

(c) By working cooperatively with the criminal and juvenile justice systems and mental health service providers, the state can help ensure medication consistency and also decrease overall state costs through the use of a common and agreed upon medication formulary and cooperative purchasing;

(d) Prior to its repeal in 2018, the medication consistency work group of the behavioral health transformation council identified mental health medications that are essential and preferred for a basic medication formulary that could be used across all public systems to increase medication continuity for individuals with behavioral or mental health disorders in the criminal and juvenile justice systems; and

(e) Increasing information sharing across systems and service providers about the importance of medication consistency and the use of a common and agreed upon medication formulary and cooperative purchasing will result in long-term benefits for the state and for individuals with behavioral or mental health disorders who are involved in the criminal and juvenile justice systems.