Prescribing Psychologists

New Mexico (2002), Louisiana (2004), Illinois (2014), Iowa (2016), Idaho (2017), Colorado (2023), Utah (2024) Other states like Florida and Hawaii are actively pursuing RxP legislation.

  Requirements:

•Ph.D. or Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology 

                   •3000 Internship hours (1500 Post-doctorate)

•Passing two Licensing Examination (National and State)

•MSCP (Postdoctoral Master of Science Degree program  in Clinical Psychopharmacology) - that includes: 

•                Two years of course work: Neuroscience, Pahtophyssiology, Pharmacology,   

                                                                    Clinical medicine, Psychopharmacology, 

                                                                    Special Populations

•Passing National Psychopharmacology Examination (PEP)

•Completing an additional Post-doctoral Fellowship of Supervised Prescriptive Case Work - 400 hours with 100 different patients

~ There is a critical shortage of psychiatists in California and particularly child psychiatrists wiht adverse consequences of supply and demand

~Psychologists with an MSCP are already effectively and successfully prescribing in other states and currently prescribe in the military and on reservations of Native Americans in California

~Psychologists already collaborate with physicians and psychiatrists in an effective manner and will continue that in the added layer of being prescribers. 

~This would offer increased options for treatment access and alternative models for treatment

~This will benefit California consumers of mental health care in cost reductions associated with an increased pool of providers

~There is a benefit from being able to have a provider who also provides joint psychotherapy and medication management to evaluate needed changes with advanced patient care. 

• RxP      led to a 5–7% drop in suicide, especially in rural areas and among      middle-aged adults through increasing access to much needed psychotropic      medications [ Choudhury AR, & Plemmons A (2023). Effects of giving psychologists prescriptive authority: Evidence from a natural experiment in the United States. Health Policy, 134, 104846. 10.1016/j.healthpol.2023.104846 ] and overall lower mortality rate [ Hughes PM, McGrath RE, & Thomas KC (2022). Evaluating the impact of prescriptive authority for psychologists on the rate of deaths attributed to mental illness. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. 10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.12.006 ]
•  A 2024 study found 24% fewer adverse drug reactions and 20% less polypharmacy compared to psychiatrists.     
• A recent analysis found RxP could save $12.81 million per QALY     (quality-adjusted life year) gained. [https://www.statnews.com/2023/03/22/the-much-maligned-quality-adjusted-life-year-is-a-vital-tool-for-health-carepolicy/#:~:text=Health%20policy%20circles%20have,everyone%2C%20including%20people%20with%20disabilities.]