Prescription privileges for psychologists: constituencies and conflicts

Abstract

The pros and cons of the proposal to link prescription privileges specifically to psychological training vary from the point of view of the constituencies involved. The present article analyzes those differences. Two surprising facts are noted. First, it is scientist-practitioners who are resisting the move toward prescription privileges, not so much the basic science organizations. Second, while the practice-based organizations have been avid in their support of prescription privileges, the same cannot be said for rank and file private practitioners. On closer examination, the costs, benefits, and views of the different constituencies make sense of these anomalies. The resistance to prescription privileges is not arbitrary or unreasonable and it is not likely to go away any time soon.