Prescriptive Authority

Although psychologists have more training in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders than any other health care professionals, the majority of all psychotropic medications are prescribed by health care providers with little to no training. APA Services Inc. supports the efforts of our state, provincial and territorial psychological association partners to obtain prescriptive authority for qualified, licensed psychologists to help fill the need for access to comprehensive, quality mental health care.

• About Prescribing Psychologists
  Allowing prescribing rights for psychologists is an essential step to providing thousands of patients with access to comprehensive mental health care.

• RxP: A Chronology
  A chronological history of prescriptive authority (RxP) in the United States.

• Idaho Becomes Fifth State to Allow Psychologists to Prescribe Medications
  The American Psychological Association applauded the Idaho Legislature for passing a bill making the state the fifth to authorize clinical psychologists with advanced specialized training to prescribe certain medications for the treatment of mental health disorders, thereby improving access to a wide range of mental health services, particularly in poorly-served areas.

• Iowa Becomes Fourth State to Allow Psychologists to Prescribe Medications
  APA hailed the enactment of a law that made Iowa the fourth state in the country to authorize licensed clinical psychologists with advanced specialized training to prescribe certain medications for the treatment of mental health disorders.

• Updated: Illinois prescriptive authority law enacted
  On June 25, the governor of Illinois signed landmark legislation (SB 2187) authorizing licensed clinical psychologists, with advanced, specialized training, to prescribe certain medications for the treatment of mental health disorders.

• Prescriptive authority legislation moving forward in New Jersey and Illinois
  Two bills would allow appropriately-trained psychologists to prescribe.

• Prescriptive authority passes Oregon legislature
  Oregon legislation granting prescriptive authority to appropriately trained and certified psychologists awaits governor’s decision

• Oregon eyes prescriptive authority goal for 2010
  A new prescriptive authority law brings the Oregon Psychological Association much closer to its ultimate goal

• APA Announces the Designation Process for Psychopharmacology Programs
  The APA designation system outlines the minimal standards of program quality for psychopharmacology education and training programs.

• APA Model Legislation for Prescriptive Authority (PDF, 68KB)
  The APA Practice Organization supports the efforts to obtain prescriptive authority for qualified, licensed psychologists to help fill the need for access to comprehensive, quality mental health care.

• APA Recommended Education & Training in Psychopharmacology (PDF, 150B)
  Psychology's ethical responsibility requires that the profession be able to define the training needs and minimum competencies required for prescriptive authority.