Title: Should Psychologists Be Allowed to Prescribe Medication? - Mental Health Policy And Advocacy Resource Center
Headings: Should Psychologists Be Allowed to Prescribe Medication?
Should Psychologists Be Allowed to Prescribe Medication?
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Keep Reading By Author Carrie Steckl, Ph.D.
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Content: Psychologists and psychiatrists exist for different, equally important reasons. They complement each other in their varying approaches to psychiatric phenomena, resulting in a more balanced treatment plan. I understand that my home state is in a predicament, and I sure don’t want people’s mental health needs to go unmet. But is this really the road we want to travel? If psychologists are allowed to prescribe drugs, what group will lobby for this privilege next? Perhaps there are other solutions to this problem. For instance, why are psychiatrists so scarce in Illinois? Could incentives be offered to recruit more to our state? Could family physicians and internists – who already know how to prescribe drugs – receive additional training in psychiatry? Could psychiatric nurses be recruited to monitor clients on psychotropic drugs in order to lighten the workload of psychiatrists?