The below article was written before Oregon's success.......
Why Are So Many Psychologists Studying Psychopharmacology?
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 11:52 admin
Steven R. Tulkin
The number of psychologists who are entering postdoctoral training in psychopharmacology continues to grow. In January 2009, the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University graduated a class of 61 psychologists who had completed a Postdoctoral Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychopharmacology. Another 100 psychologists are currently enrolled in the CSPP postdoctoral psychopharmacology classes.
There are several answers to the question of why so many psychologists are enrolling in postdoctoral psychopharmacology programs. Although there are still only two states that have authorized psychologists to prescribe (New Mexico and Louisiana), there is clear evidence that the Prescribing Psychologist Initiative (RxP) is continuing to grow. LeVine and Wiggins (2009) report that many of the psychologists who prescribe medication in Louisiana and New Mexico have increased their referral base through new consulting arrangements and fee for service patients have demonstrated a willingness to seek out their services (page 32). Several additional states are introducing RxP legislation this year; the Indian Health Service has developed policies that will allow IHS psychologists to qualify to prescribe in any IHS facility; and the Department of Defense has expanded the opportunities for psychologists to prescribe in the military, including opportunities for contract psychologists who are not enlisted in the military.
While only two states have authorized psychologists to prescribe, many states have developed recommendations for psychologists education and training in psychopharmacology. Over 10 years ago, California Senate Bill 983 was signed into law, adding the following section to the Psychology Licensing Law: The Board shall encourage licensed psychologists to take continuing education courses in psychopharmacology and biological bases of behavior. Furthermore, the California Board of Psychology has stated the following:
Psychologists may discuss medications with a patient.
A psychologist may suggest a particular medication to be prescribed by a physician. However, the ultimate decision as to whether a patient should receive medication lies solely with the physician.
A psychologist may engage in a collegial discussion with a patients physician regarding the appropriateness of a medication for the condition being treated.
A psychologist has primary responsibility to monitor the patients progress in psychotherapy, which includes assisting in monitoring the changes caused in the patient by the drug therapy.
Psychological Model of Pharmacotherapy:
Some psychologists have expressed concern that training in psychopharmacology will lead to the loss of identity of psychology as a behavioral science. The experiences of the graduates of the Department of Defense (DOD) Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project, as well as prescribing psychologists in New Mexico and Louisiana, clearly show that prescribing psychologists will not lose their identities, and, in fact, will become more effective psychologists. Several articles have been written about the Psychological Model of Pharmacotherapy. Debra Dunivin (2003), one of the DOD prescribing psychologists states that this is a model, that incorporates into the pharmacologic interventions all that is known about the intrapsychic, interpersonal, and cultural worlds in which our patients live (p. 13). Dunivin went on to point out how psychologists who prescribe are different from other prescribers:
Psychologists tend to rely less on exclusive pharmacologic treatments than their colleagues in medicine, and to more frequently integrate pharmacotherapy with psychotherapy.
One of the particular values/skills that psychologists bring to the practice of pharmacotherapy is their ability to establish a therapeutic alliance, and take the time to listen to their patients and develop an appropriate treatment plan with their patients based on the patients individual needs. Prescribing within the therapeutic alliance is more likely to result in greater patient honesty regarding adherence, and, therefore, to increased effectiveness.
Finally, Dunivin pointed out that the success of prescribing psychologists indicates that we have learned that psychologists can learn enough medicine to practice pharmacotherapy safely and effectively while still practicing from within a psychological model.
Every postdoctoral psychopharmacology training program incorporates the psychological model of pharmacotherapy in all courses, from the foundational basic science courses to the more applied courses, including treatment of severe forms of mental illness and how to address cultural issues relevant to special populations. Dr. James Quillin, a prescribing Medical Psychologist in Louisiana, said it most simply: While some of our new professional activities are unmistakably medical in character, the term medical in medical psychology is an adjective that modifies rather than defines who and what we arepsychologists. The opportunity to provide a broader range of therapeutic options certainly has not diminished my professional identity.
Program Information:
Information about postdoctoral training programs in psychopharmacology can be found on the Division 55 (American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy) website:
http://www.division55.org/ContinuingEducation.htm#Comparison
References:
Dunivin, D. (2003). Experiences of a Department of Defense prescribing psychologist: A personal account. In M.T. Sammons, R.F. Levant, and R.U. Paige (Eds.), Prescriptive Authority for Psychologists: A History and Guide. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. (pp110-116).
LeVine, E. and Wiggins, J. (2009). Prescribing in the private practice setting. Independent Practitioner, 29, 30-32
