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In the vast majority of cases,psychologistscannot prescribe medications to their patients.
Unfortunately, there is a serious shortage ofpsychiatrists(medical doctors with specialized training in mental health).
This means that family doctors and primary care physicians are often the ones left filling in the prescribing gap.
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Because of this, there has been a growing push to grant prescribing privileges to psychologists.
Psychologists are not medical doctors.
Instead, they hold aPhDorPsyDin Psychology.
This number may grow in the coming years as states push to increase access to mental health services.
Where Can Psychologists Prescribe Medications?
Psychologists can prescribe in five states: Louisiana, New Mexico, Illinois, Iowa, and Idaho.
Professional psychologists gained prescribing privileges in New Mexico in 2002 and Louisiana in 2004.
In 2014, Illinois became the third state to grant prescribing powers to psychologists who hold appropriate training.
Iowa granted prescriptive authority to psychologists in 2016, and Idaho followed suit in 2017.
What Training Do Prescribing Psychologists Have?
What kind of training is needed?
Psychologists who want to prescribe must pass a national psychopharmacology exam.
In some cases, they may also be required to coordinate with a patient’s primary care provider.
Advocates suggest that psychologists should be allowed to write prescriptions for a number of different reasons.
On average, 30% of a primary care physician’s caseload consists of people with psychiatric conditions.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mental health treatment among adults, United States, 2020.
Lu S.Iowa psychologists can now prescribe.Monitor on Psychology.
2016;47(8):30.
American Psychological Association.Idaho becomes fifth state to allow psychologists to prescribe medications.
APA Services.About prescribing psychologists.
2020;27(1):e12309.
doi:10.1111/cpsp.12309
American Medical Association.Nurse practitioner prescriptive authority.
2016;35(7).
2019;76(9):981. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0958
American Psychological Association.Prescriptive authority gains new momentum.
2019;61(5):503-507. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_28_18
