Prescriptive Authority For Psychologists Movement

Prescriptive Authority For Psychologists Movement

The Prescriptive authority for psychologists (RxP) movement is a public health initiative to give prescriptive authority to psychologists with 2 years of postdoctoral Masters degreed training, or Continuing Education training in clinical psychopharmacology and related sciences, followed by 1 – 2 years of supervised prescribing, or a Certificate from the Department of Defense program, or the Board Certified Diplomate from the Prescribing Psychologists Register (FICPP or FICPPM), www.pprpsych.com to enable them, accoding to state law, to prescribe psychotropic medications to treat mental and emotional disorders. Prior to RxP legislation and in states where it has not been passed, this role is played by psychiatrists, who possess a medical degree and thus the authority to prescribe medication (whose numbers, advocates assert, are at a critical shortage), and by primary care physicians who can prescribe psychotropics but (advocates argue) lack extensive training in psychotropic drugs and in diagnosing and treating psychological disorders. According to the American Psychological Association, the professional organization representing the interests of psychologists, the movement is a reaction to the growing public need for mental health services, particularly in less urbanized and therefore under-resourced areas where patients have little or no access to psychiatrists.

Currently, in states where RxP legislation has been passed, psychologists who seek prescriptive authority must possess a doctoral level degree (PhD/PsyD/EdD) and a license to practice independently, with five years of clinical experience working with patients as a health care provider, and complete a post-doctoral Master of Science degree or any of the training programs from the Department of Defense or Prescribing Psychologist Register that were available prior to the creation of the postdoctoral Masters program. The basic science and medical phase of the post-doctoral Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology degree may be completed with an on-line degree program free of patient interaction, followed by two years of supervised work experience working directly with and prescribing for 100 patients under a physician's or psychiatrist's supervision, making it a total of 4 years of training. The medications the psychologist may then prescribe are limited to those indicated for mental and emotional health problems; the specific list of approved medications differs by state. The psychologist usually collaborates with a physician on treatment.

Psychologists' involvement in pharmacotherapy exists on a continuum, with psychologists serving as prescribers, collaborators, and information providers in the medical decision-making process. Currently, psychologists may only prescribe in two states, New Mexico and Louisiana, and in the U.S. military. When psychologists act as collaborators, they lack the authority to make the final decision to prescribe; however, they may assist in the process by recommending clinically desirable treatment effects, certain classes of medications, specific medications, dosages, or other aspects of the treatment regimen. Psychologists also provide information that may be relevant to the prescribing professional. Psychologists may express concerns about treatment, refer patients for medication consults, direct patients to referral or information sources, or discuss with patients how to address their concerns about medication with the prescriber.