• Government
• Profession
• Business
• Opinion
• Health

• Health reform
• H1N1
• P4P
• EMRs
• Medicare
• Liability
• AMA House
• » More

• Book Excerpt
• Business Pitch
• Meetings
• » More

• Contract Language
• Ethics Forum
• In the Courts
• Practice Management
• Technically Speaking
• » More

• Issue dates
• Regions
• Health plans
• Sections
• News briefs
• Columns
• Editorials
• Letters
• Writers
• Other years

• Search tips
• E-mail alert
• Radio
• RSS
• Mobile
• Subscribe
• Institutions
• Staff directory
• Advertising
• Permissions
• Reprints
• News media
• Site guide
• Useful links
• About
• Premium
• Contact

Nonphysicians eager to pick up prescription pad

Empowered by recent victories, nonphysicians gear up for 2005 legislative efforts to expand their scope.

By Myrle Croasdale, amednews staff. Feb. 7, 2005.

• PRINT|
• E-MAIL|
• RESPOND|
• REPRINTS|
• SHARE

Nonphysicians such as naturopaths and psychologists, having seen their colleagues in other states win the right to prescribe or otherwise expand their scope of practice, are expected to push hard for the same authority in more states in 2005. Meanwhile, organized medicine is getting ready to fight their efforts.

According to the American Psychological Assn., psychologists in Hawaii, Wyoming and Tennessee are talking to their legislators about introducing bills that would expand their prescription authority, and psychologists are expected to do likewise in another three to six states this year.

The American Assn. of Naturopathic Physicians says at least 11 states will see licensing campaigns by its constituents in 2005.

Practitioners from podiatrists to nurse anesthetists to optometrists are also planning to seek to expand their scope of practice to include tasks normally performed only by physicians.

Russ Newman, PhD, executive director for professional practice at the American Psychological Assn, said psychologists want to prescribe because otherwise, many people would not get the mental care they need.

"The access issue is not uniquely a rural issue," Dr. Newman said. "Access issues also take place in urban areas, as evidenced by waiting times to see psychiatrists. ... When people run into obstacles to accessing care, often they decide to not continue to seek care and never get any."

Steven Sharfstein, MD, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Assn., said such arguments don't adequately address patient safety. His group opposed legislation in New Mexico and Louisiana allowing psychologists to prescribe psychotropic medications and is fighting a bill in New Mexico to expand their prescription formulary to include off-label drugs.