It has passed in seven states, due largely to substantial lobbying efforts by the American Psychological Association (APA), the largest professional organization of psychologists in the world with over 157,000 members.
Prior to RxP legislation and in American states where it has not been passed, this role has been played by psychiatrists, who possess a medical degree and thus the authority to prescribe medication, but more frequently (60-80%) by primary care providers who can prescribe psychotropics, but lack extensive training in psychotropic drugs and in diagnosing and treating psychological disorders.
According to the APA, the movement is a reaction to the growing public need for mental health services, particularly in under-resourced areas where patients have little or no access to psychiatrists.
In some jurisdictions, completion of the training programs from the Department of Defense or the Prescribing Psychologists' Register Diplomate Certification also satisfies the licensing law requirements.
The bill would have allowed licensed psychologists there to administer and prescribe psychotropic medication for the treatment of "nervous, mental, and organic brain disorders.
At its meeting in August 2020, the APA Council of Representatives gave final approval to this petition, adding clinical psychopharmacology to 17 other APA-recognized psychological specialties.
*General *Education *Assessment *Intervention and Consultation *Relationships There are several core arguments put forth by RxP advocates, including the following: According to a survey assessing the views of psychology interns, residents, and psychologists published in the journal Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, significant support exists regarding the APA's prescriptive authority initiative.
[9] Proponents of the prescriptive authority initiative believe that it would improve the economic stability of the profession, provide better opportunities to underserved populations, and enhance psychologists' clinical skills through a better understanding of biopsychosocial interactions.
[9] Today, evidence exists to indicate a continual and growing level of support for the American Psychological Association's prescriptive authority initiative.
Such support reflects psychologists' willingness to open their minds to learning about psychotropic medications, incorporating pharmacological treatment with therapy, and adapting to the demands of a rapidly changing health care world.
The current RxP model explicitly states that this movement includes no medical training, but this can be accomplished with a master's degree in psychopharmacology, typically from a postdoctoral education program at a professional school.
Some opponents claim this would culminate in substantially fewer years and hours compared to physician assistants and nurse practitioners, who are granted full prescriptive authority, and can elect to specialize in psychiatry, unlike the majority of psychologists.
[21] This perception was found to be true of physicians, mid-level providers, psychologists, non-prescribing therapists, and general members of the public.