Title: Explain To Me Again Why Psychologists Can’t Prescribe Meds? | Thought Broadcast
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Explain To Me Again Why Psychologists Can’t Prescribe Meds?
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Content: She and her daughter ask Dr Smith to “do something” to help. Each of these scenarios is an actual case from my practice (with details changed to maintain anonymity). Both William and Claudia are in emotional distress, and a case could be made for a trial of a psychiatric medication in each of them. The problem, however, lies in the fact that only one of these “doctors” is a medical doctor: in this case, Dr Smith. As a result, despite whatever experience or insight Dr Moore may have in the diagnosis of mental illness, he’s forbidden from prescribing a drug to treat it. I recently gave a presentation to a Continuing Education program sponsored by the California School of Professional Psychology . My audience was a group of “prescribing psychologists”—licensed psychologists who have taken over 500 hours of psychopharmacology course work in addition to the years to obtain their psychology PhDs. By virtue of their core training, these psychologists do not see patients as “diseases” or as targets for drugs. Although they do receive training in psychiatric diagnosis (and use the same DSM as psychiatrists), neuroanatomy, and testing/assessment, their interventions are decidedly not biological.