Psychologists who full additional coaching may have the choice to prescribe psychological well being drugs in Colorado, although it’s not clear what number of will select to take action.
On Friday, Gov. Jared Polis signed Home Invoice 23-1071, which creates a course of for psychologists who wish to prescribe. It might be a number of years earlier than any psychologists qualify, nonetheless, as a result of they must full a grasp’s diploma in medical psychopharmacology, move an examination and work underneath a doctor’s supervision for a minimum of a 12 months.
Colorado psychiatrists and pediatricians got here out towards the invoice, arguing psychologists wouldn’t have ample data of prescribing and that permitting them to take action might fragment sufferers’ care.
On the opposite aspect, psychologists stated sufferers would profit from elevated entry to remedy, and from receiving their remedy and remedy from the identical individual. Either side had monetary incentives to take these positions, with psychologists gaining a brand new income stream and current prescribers dealing with elevated competitors.
The invoice was amended so as to add {that a} psychologist should get permission from a affected person’s major care physician earlier than prescribing, and if the affected person doesn’t have a physician, the psychologist should refer them to at least one. It additionally included particular conditions the place the psychologist should notify the doctor, akin to if the affected person experiences negative effects.
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