Prescription Privileges

David M. Hulac & Joshua D. Bernstein

Prescription privileges refers to the right to prescribe medication. The psychologist prescription privilege (PPP) debate refers to legal and ethical arguments for and against a psychologist prescribing medication. Presently, there are legal avenues by which a psychologist may earn the right to prescribe medication. A psychologist could elect to earn a supplemental degree in such fields as medicine or advanced practice nursing and gain legal authority to prescribe. Extending prescription privilege to psychologists would provide a different and, presumably, less onerous means for a psychologist to gain the right to prescribe. In the United States, granting prescription privileges to psychologists was attempted by various pilot programs in New Mexico, California and, most notably, in the military. Recently, two states, Louisiana and New Mexico, have passed laws to permit additional avenues whereby a psychologist may prescribe medications. As of April 2005, legislatures in 20 states either began studying the impacts of ...

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