Mental health is a major public health concern, with nearly 1 in 4 Americans having a mental health condition. Shortages of mental health providers, especially those who can prescribe medications, have resulted in severe access barriers for patients in need of mental health services such that the majority of psychotropic prescribing occurs in primary care. Prescriptive authority for psychologists (RxP) has been codified in six states as a means to reduce this shortage, beginning with New Mexico in 2002. Until recently, however, there has been limited research available on the impact of these policies, leaving policymakers in other states hesitant to adopt RxP as a component of their state’s mental health policy agenda.

This presentation will explore the current RxP research, implications of emerging findings, and future directions for RxP research. Recent advances in the evidence related to RxP, particularly regarding patient outcomes, could be informative for ongoing policy discussions. As such, implications and future directions for RxP research will be discussed in the broader context of mental health policy.

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