An ethical dilemma: clinical psychologists prescribing psychotropic medications

The use of psychotropic medication to treat psychiatric disorders has surged in recent years, and while commonly prescribed, the question of who should be allowed to prescribe such medication has become an increasingly important issue to nurses. Psychologists have historically functioned in roles such as psychotherapy and psychological testing, but as standards of care for psychiatric disorders incorporate medication, reimbursement for psychotherapy is declining. Medication prescription and management have not been traditionally seen as the role of the psychologist, however, many clinical psychologists have begun to advocate for prescription authority as a legally sanctioned role for their profession. This article addresses the issues of clinical psychologists seeking prescriptive privilege. It will be argued that the current paradigm of psychology rejects the neurobiological basis of mental illness and that psychologists prescribing medication presents an ethical dilemma for nurses. It is the contention of the author that nurses have an ethical responsibility to advocate against the extension of the psychologist's role into the prescription of medications.