Prescription Authority Committee (RxP)

The Ontario Psychological Association is actively lobbying the Ministry of Health and Government of Ontario to expand the scope of practice for licensed psychologists with specific pharmacology training to include the ability to prescribe a limited range of psychotropic medication to their patients. The OPA has a sub committee that has been actively working on this project.

Here is a brief summary of our position on why Psychologists should be able to prescribe:

• Improved patient outcomes for those with mental illness, resulting in a healthier population and reductions in personal, societal, and economic costs related to disability. 
• Improve integrated care by allowing psychologists to diagnose, provide psychotherapy, and prescribe medication for suitable cases.  Psychologists typically assess for longer (1-2 hours) and see patients more often (weekly) resulting in more integrated care, frequent monitoring, and a better positioned to adjust treatment to achieve positive outcomes quickly.
• Reduce urgent and emergent care costs including 911, hospital emergency room visits, and in-patient hospitalizations by providing effective combined psychological and medication treatment earlier.
• Improves reallocation of professional resources so family doctors, psychiatrists, and hospitals can focus on their specialties.
• Successful implementation in many U.S. jurisdictions (i.e., US Military, Illinois, New Mexico, Louisiana) with many other significant jurisdictions moving in this direction, including California, Florida, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
• No reported adverse claims in any jurisdictions permitting psychologists to prescribe.

The Prescription Authority Committee (RxP) is comprised of psychologists and psychological associates who are working to bring prescription rights to the profession in Ontario. It is part of the Planning and Policy Development Committee.

Chair:

Dr. Diana Velikonja, [email protected]

Resources

CATO Institute released this comment (June 7^th, 2023) on a study looking at the impact of RxP on suicide rates in New Mexico and Louisiana.  

https://www.cato.org/blog/new-evidence-prescribing-psychologists-can-save-lives

New CPA Accreditation Standards

https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Accreditation/CPA%202023%20Accreditation%20Standards_EN_Web.pdf

American Psychological Association - Society for Prescribing Psychology (Division 55)

The Society for Prescribing Psychology, Division 55 of the American Psychological Association (APA), was created to enhance psychological treatments combined with psychopharmacological medications.

 

Click here for APA Division 55’s Mandate and Legislative Resources. 

 

Contact Information: 

• APA’s Dr. Beth Rom-Rymer’s email contact: [email protected]
• She will be happy to connect with you.  Alternatively, we would be happy to organize a meeting. Please confirm how to proceed. 

 

APA MScP Training Resources

• APA Model Legislation for Prescriptive Authority
  1. Sample Legislation from Illinois’ Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act ( see Sec. 4.2. Prescribing psychologist license. 

• Psychopharmacology Exam for Psychologists (PEP) Blueprint

 

• Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards PEP Candidate Handbook  

 

• APA Handbook of Psychopharmacology

 

• American Psychological Association Practice Organization (APAPO) PEP History
  1. Society for Prescribing Psychologists - Diversity Council
     1. Each MSCP program must have cultural competency training

 

APA MSc of Psychopharmacology (MSCP) Programs, Curriculums, Students, Graduates 

1. Fairleigh Dickinson University, School of Psychology, New Jersey 

Details: MS Program in Clinical Psychopharmacology, (Designated November 6, 2010)

 

1. New Mexico State University, New Mexico 

Details: MS Program in Clinical Psychopharmacology (Designated November 6, 2010)

 

1. Alliant International University, California School of Professional Psychology, San Francisco 

Details: Clinical Psychopharmacology Postdoctoral MS Program (Designated July 25, 2011)

 

1. Idaho State University, Idaho 

Details: MS Program in Clinical Psychopharmacology (Designated January 6, 2021)

 

1. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Details: Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology (Designated February 5, 2021)

 

1. University of Hawai`i Hilo (MSCP program closed in 2018)

Details: MsC Clinical Psychopharmacology

 

Note: should Ontario or other provinces expand scope of practice, there will be growth of domestic MSc Psychopharmacology programs. 

 

 

Books and articles of the integrated approach in the USA 

• Integrating Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
  • Jan 30, 2020, Fredric N. Busch, MD. Psychiatric Times (Vol 37, Issue 1).
• Combining Psychotherapy and Medication to Improve Outcomes in Patients With Axis I Disorders
  • Nov 13, 2017, Jaime Rosenberg.
• Psychotherapy alone and combined with pharmacotherapy in the treatment of depression
  • Frans De Jonghe; Mariëlle Hendricksen; Gerda Van Aalst; Simone Kool; Vjaap Peen; Rien Van; Ellen Van Den Eijnden; Jack Dekker. The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 185 , Issue 1 , July 2004 , pp. 37 – 45. 
• Integrating Psychotherapy and psychopharmacology:  A handbook for clinicians
  • Edited by: Irismar Reis de Oliveira; Thomas Schwartz; Stephen M. Stahl

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