Should Psychologists Have Prescription Privileges?

Kaut and Dicknson (2007) states “a growing challenge for mental health counselors is to understand the potential benefits and limitations of many different types of drugs “(.p204-205). Drugs are prescribed to have an effect on the brain and behavior of clients. Mental health counselors are advised to be trained in how psychotropic medications can benefit and be at risk for their clients and to develop a collaborative approach to treatment (Kaut & Anderson, 2004; King & Dickinson, 2007). While mental health counselors cannot prescribe medication, they can recommend medication and educated their

Clinical psychologists treat those whose thought patterns and behaviours are a threat to their own wellbeing and potentially a threat to others. By using techniques such as observation and interviews, clinical psychologists will assess a patients problem and use this information to provide suitable treatment. Treatments through this pathway require the patients cooperation to both analyse and manage their condition (Health Careers, 2016). Whilst conducting treatments with

In the United States, health care accessibility, quality, and affordability continue to be ongoing topics of discussion that effect many Americans on a regular basis. The need for affordable, quality healthcare continues to grow, not only due to a growing elderly population, but also as a result of the Affordable Care Act which has allowed millions of previously uninsured Americans access to health insurance and therefor better access to healthcare services (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 2010). According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) the projected demand increased for healthcare have led to a call for expansion of primary care services by policy makers (Institute of Medicine, 2010; National Governors Association, 2012). Since Advanced Practice Nurses or Nurse Practitioners (APNs or NPs will be used interchangeably for the purpose of this paper) are one of the fastest growing groups of healthcare providers, and continue to practice and provide care in a range of settings including primary care, it is important to investigate and address any potential barriers to practice. This author believes that allowing APNs to write prescriptions for commonly used controlled substances will help improve timeliness and flexibility in health care delivery; studies have shown that there is a positive impact on high

Throughout the centuries mental illness has been treated by countless treatments. Modern treatments have created an argument over which treatment options are best. the most debates treatments today are medication and therapy. the argument of medication versus therapy as treatments for mental illness is fairly new. Yet, proponents of both sides have strong arguments stating the advantages of their treatment option. proponents of medication believe pharmacogenetics, tailored treatments, and medication's ability to treat severe disorders makes medication the better treatment option. proponents of therapy believe drug addiction, suicide prevention, and need adaption establishes therapy as the better treatment choice.

Clinical psychology is just one of the many subfields that psychology has to offer. Those who choose to enter clinical psychology aim to help people with addiction, emotional stress, mental illness, or any other type of mental problems. Knowing what a clinical psychologist does in their practice is important in understanding their profession. A clinical psychologist's education is the most prominent part of their career; without it, they cannot be considered a psychologist. The process and requirements of employment for psychologists are scattered, varying from state to state, as well as their salary and where they may be employed. The future and growth of clinical psychology can only be

Although we tend to think that drugs are here to comfort and heal people, we must also take into account that behind every drug, we have a drug company that is making millions of dollars off of consumers who by their products. Behind every consumer, we have a doctor that is recommending and prescribing the medication. In “The Medicated Child,” we learn that the researchers who advocate the use of psychiatric medications, receive enormous support from drug companies. Firsthand doctors inform us that theses drug industry funded studies influence their decisions on what drugs to “push” or prescribe. This is a major conflict of interest because the decisions and results of the studies are

Some of the current changes that can be seen in regards to prescription privileges include changes in the ways that physicians and mental health professionals are able to prescribe medications to their patients. According to Brenda Smith of the APA (2012), currently patients receive their medications for psychological conditions by a physician usually without having been evaluated by a mental health practitioner according to the CDC. The trend includes individuals to visit their general health practitioners in order to receive psychotropic medications such as antidepressants and anxiolytics. The problem with individuals receiving these medications from other sources include: deterrence

This may lead to a difficult evaluation, the psychologist needs to obtain information that may be incriminating and not benefit the defendant if they provide it. The defendant has no control over how that information is used. (Datz,1989) Such issues as prescription authority ,where the psychologist is able to prescribe medication for their client has become an ethical issue. Many psychologists themselves believe that prescription should be be given by medical graduates with full training (Boschert 1998).This is backed up by 43% of responding to an American Psychological Association survey indicating that they believed that full medical training would be required for prescription.(APA 1992a

The banning of psychologists is a way for the prosecution to have a lead. With no facts on a person’s mental issues then the people of the court are bias. They have no idea if this person has had things in the past that have permanently scared their thinking process. Things that even may have, ultimately, made this person insane.

Unit 2 homework and quiz: Psychology’s Voice in the Legal System; Psychologists’ Licensing and Ethical Guidelines.

This is a review of the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners meeting that occurred on August 18, 2015. A psychologist was brought to the Board on complaints from a client. The complaints will be listed, the psychologist’s response will be noted, and then the board’s decision will be provided. The meeting was a preliminary hearing to determine if a violation might have occurred. Several potential statute violations were considered but only Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) 32-02061.15.O, providing services that are unnecessary or unsafe or otherwise engaging in activities as a psychologist that are unprofessional by current standards of practice, was passed as a potential violation that will require an informal interview to investigate further.

The most imperative crucial peak of our psychiatric therapy is assessing right of entry to primary-care physicians underneath the health-care guideline. The motive for this meeting point is dual: foremost, we previously know that we will be in front of a primary-care scarcity in the impending existence, so accepting the position that Obamacare plays in affecting the deficiency is essential; subsequent, much of the law was aggravated by the quarrel that escalating access to reasonably priced or even free preventive and main care physicians would eventually corner the curvature of health-care

Because of the doctors’ profession, a psychiatrist must abide by the ethic of nonmaleficence when it comes to their patients. This article is true, “When conflicts occur among psychologists’ obligations or concerns, they attempt to resolve these conflicts in a responsible fashion that avoids or minimizes harm” (Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, n.d.). For this profession, this is very important because their judgment can have a serious effect on a person mind. If there were no ethics to guide them not to do no harm, psychology could become an unethical profession within the health care system. This ethic could also be the reason for the raise of concern that Dr. McHale has for the detainee.

To help keep prestige in the pharmacy profession, family physicians should no longer prescribe medications and should only write the ailment on the prescription. This would allow pharmacists, who are the drug experts, to prescribe the drugs. This only makes sense to let doctors figure out what is wrong and the pharmacist to make the correct decision on the prescription. Half the time the pharmacist has to call the doctor anyways because they prescribed the wrong medicine or the wrong dosage.

Yet, if managed care begins to dictate what treatments have to be used, then empirically validated treatments will be used against psychologists as a form of restriction that may inhibit the success of the therapeutic process (Scaturo, 2001).However, certain artful tactics involved in psychotherapy will never be completely removed, such as the development of a therapeutic relationship (Allen, 2008). With the rise of EVTs there is a possibility that insurance or managed care may dictate the exact treatment techniques that need to be used for a particular disorder, the art of psychotherapy will not be able to thrive in the future has it once did in the past (Hopko & Hopko, 1999). One way to prevent the complete loss of the art of psychotherapy is to use both the art and science together.