Prescribing Medication: A Case Study

There has been a long standing debate as to whether psychologists should be given the right to prescribe. Prescribing medication is not something that should be taken lightly, as it directly affects the lives of many patients. According to DeNelsky (1996), psychiatrists once used “lip therapy”, but were influenced by pharmaceutical companies in prescribing medication. Psychology has branched off and built its own reputation, being involved in research and therapeutic methods in clinical settings. This is unique compared to other non-physician careers involved in health care. But with prescription privileges, this may lead to a loss in identity of what a psychologist stands for. This may change the social perception on psychology and induce

Firstly, the pharmaceutical companies would push psychologists to rely on drugs more, causing psychologists to gradually undermine therapeutic uses (DeNelsky, 1996). Even so, most patients usually stop taking medication, and with little therapy, could lead to stress in their lives as it the number one factor for mood disorders (M. Hywel, lecture, October 3rd, 2014). Therefore there would be an increased risk in patient mental health in the long run. DeNelsky (1996) highlights that as independent prescribers, psychologists would be legally and medically liable for all the consequences for the prescriptions they write for patients, such as those who may have an underlying heart condition that is not apparent at first, but becomes visible when medication is taken. This will increase the number of law suits, bringing about stress on the clinical psychologist, increasing his or her chances of mental and physical health issues as well. Finally, Hayes et el (2002) suggests that training for psychologists, if obtained the right to prescribe, would be costly, lengthy and stressful. This can bring about a financial burden to the additional loans from undergraduate and graduate studies, making it harder to obtain a stable career when the legislature requires psychologists to get training to prescribe. Stress is an important implication that is often overlooked, yet it determines the success of psychologists in treating patients effectively, and the overall mental health of those