Current Research on Prescribing Psychology: Advancing Towards Evidence Based Policy
Presented by Phillip Hughes, MS
Recorded on Thursday, March 14th, 2024
Access provided upon registration on “My Courses” page
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.
When attended in full, this program offers 1.0 APA CEs for Psychologists.
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.
After attending this introductory-level program, participants will be able to:
- Describe the recent advances in research on prescribing psychologist policies.
- List at least three future directions for prescribing psychology research.
- Explain at least three recent advances in the evidence-based research that can inform ongoing policy discussions.
This program meets APA’s continuing education STANDARD 1.2: Program content focuses on ethical, legal, statutory or regulatory policies, guidelines, and standards that influence psychological practice, education, or research.
This program meets APA’s continuing education GOAL 2: Program will enable psychologists to keep pace with the most current scientific evidence regarding assessment, prevention, intervention, and/or education, as well as important relevant legal, statutory, leadership, or regulatory issues.
Phillip Hughes, MS
Phillip Hughes has a Master’s of Science in Clinical Psychology from Auburn University at Montgomery and is a 4th-year PhD candidate in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy’s Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy. His primary research interests center around mental health and substance use treatment services, with a focus on policies to improve access to those services (e.g., prescriptive authority). He is the author of 27 peer-reviewed research articles and 2 editorials, including one of the top-cited articles (2021-2022) in the Journal of Rural Health. He received the 2023 Patrick H. DeLeon Prize for Outstanding Student Contribution to the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy from Division 55 of the American Psychological Association, and his research on psychologists’ prescriptive authority has been included in legislative testimony in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania.
Choudhury, A. R., & Plemmons, A. (2023). Effects of giving psychologists prescriptive authority: Evidence from a natural experiment in the United States. Health Policy, 134, 104–846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2023.104846 Curtis, S.
E., Hoffmann, S., & O’Leary Sloan, M. (2022). Prescriptive authority for psychologists: The next step. Psychological Services. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000667
Hughes, P. M., Annis, I. E., McGrath, R. E., & Thomas, K. C. (In Press). Psychotropic prescribing across professions: 2016-2019. Psychiatric Services.
Hughes, P. M., McGrath, R. E., & Thomas, K. C. (2023). Evaluating the impact of prescriptive authority for psychologists on the rate of deaths attributed to mental illness. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 19(4), 667–672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.12.006
Hughes, P. M., Phillips, D. C., McGrath, R. E., & Thomas, K. C. (2023). Examining psychologist prescriptive authority as a cost-effective strategy for reducing suicide rates. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 54(4), 284–294. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000519
Target Audience: Psychologists and doctoral psychology students.
Psychologists. This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 1.0 continuing education credits. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in its continuing education activities. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is also committed to conducting all activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If program content becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods.
Non Psychologists. Most licensing boards accept Continuing Education Credits sponsored by the American Psychological Association but non-psychologists are recommended to consult with their specific state-licensing board to ensure that APA-sponsored CE is acceptable.
*Participants must attend 100% of the program in order to obtain a Certificate of Attendance.
If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address questions, concerns and any complaints to [email protected]. There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between the CE Sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest.