The Current Status of Prescribing Psychologists

Despite ongoing controversy surrounding prescriptive authority for psychologists, few studies have been conducted on the practices or acceptance of prescribing psychologists. The current study had three aims. The first was to evaluate how prescribing psychologists are perceived by themselves and by their colleagues in various medical professions. The second aim was to understand the practice patterns of prescribing psychologists, while the last was to explore factors associated with perceptions of prescribing psychologists among medical professionals. Thirty prescribing psychologists and 24 of their medical colleagues completed surveys evaluating perceptions and practices of prescribing psychologists. Results demonstrated that prescribing psychologists were overwhelmingly perceived positively by their medical colleagues across various domains. Basic elements of the practice of the prescribing psychologist are described. Conclusions, limitations, and suggestions for further research are discussed.