Reasons to Grant Prescriptive Authority to 
Appropriately Trained Psychologists

1. There is a critical need for appropriate and effective psychoactive medication, but access to this type of care is limited and decreasing.

• 20% of all Americans suffer from mental illness at any given time.
• Studies show that a combination of talk therapy and drug therapy is often the most effective treatment.
  Medical students in psychiatric residencies decreased 12% between 1988 and 1994.
• Interest in psychiatric residencies among medical students in the United States has decreased to the point that about half of the residency slots are being filled by graduates from medical schools in other countries.
• The majority of all psychotropic medications are prescribed by non-psychiatric health care providers who have limited exposure to diagnosing mental illnesses.
• In the United States there are at least 444 counties that have no psychiatrists but do have psychologists .
  

2. Psychologists are highly trained specialists in mental health who can and are being trained to prescribe psychoactive medications.

• Psychologists have an average of seven years of doctoral training in the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of mental and emotional disorders.
• Psychologists interested in obtaining prescriptive authority receive specialized post-doctoral training.
• Psychologists all over the United States are already seeking postdoctoral training in psychopharmacology.
  Psychologists in many professional settings are already collaborating with physicians on patients medication issues.
• Ten military psychologists have been trained to prescribe, and an independent study of this group shows them to be safe and effective prescribers.
• Most states have granted other non-physician providers, such as dentists, podiatrists, physician-assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists, some degree of prescriptive authority, and many prescribe independently.
  Prescriptive authority for psychologists increases continuity of care.
• It is time consuming for patients to see multiple health care providers for the same problem. Prescribing psychologists, because of their mental health expertise, will be able to provide patients with assessment, diagnosis, and therapy, as well as psychotropics and medication management.
• Psychologists trained to prescribe will provide integrated psychological and pharmacological care.