There is a growing consensus that many mental illnesses involve brain processes which can be corrected by medications. At the same time managed care is mandating medications in some instances, and is reducing the number of therapy sessions allowed. Psychologists are seeing patients who require medications as a part of their treatment, and they are not trained to prescribe medications. Their patients must get these medications from a psychiatrist or from their family doctor.
It is in this atmosphere that psychologists in the United States are increasingly calling for legislation allowing them to prescribe certain psychotropic medications, following additional training in physiology and pharmacology. Psychiatrists strongly oppose this move by psychologists. Their opposition resulted in the American Psychiatric Association pulling out of a joint project with the American Psychological Association, the Treatment E-Journal.
The real issue centers around the nature of training needed for prescribing medications. Psychologists are not arguing that they should simply be allowed to prescribe. They are arguing that prescribing privileges should be granted only after a psychologist has taken extensive post-graduate training and supervision. Psychiatrists argue that medical school (or at least nurse practitioner training) is required for someone to be knowledgeable enough to prescribe medications. So far state legislatures have agreed with the psychiatrists.
I'm not someone who is pushing for this legislation, and I would not seek this training even if my state allowed prescribing. Still, I'm not convinced that medical school should be the only way to obtain prescription privileges. There are too many other professionals who have some ability to prescribe without having attended medical school.
The Internet has numerous sites which review the issues involved, usually taking a stand on one side or the other. Here are a few:
New Mexico Allows Psychologists to Prescribe
The Prescribing Psychologists' Register advocates prescribing privileges for psychologists
The American Psychiatric Association opposes prescribing by psychologists
The American Psycological Association favors psychologist prescribing
