| Summary: | The privilege to prescribe pharmacotherapeutics has been granted in limited areas to psychologists. The psychologist's role in society may be approaching a great evolution that can dramatically impact the state of mental healthcare and the discipline of psychiatry. Opponents argue drug company funding and cheaper non-PhD psychological professionals fuel the movement for prescription rights for PhD level psychologists. However, proponents claim that this right would equip psychologists with greater psychotherapeutic modalities and the capability of having richer doctor-patient relationships to diagnose and treat underserved populations. Nonetheless, the paucity of prescribing psychologist studies cannot allow the biopsychosocial community to make firm opinions, let alone a decision on this debate. This article reviews the history of clinical psychology and highlights the potential divergence into collaborative clinical and health psychologists and autonomous prescribing psychologists.
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