Prescriptive authority for psychologists: The next step

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported online in Psychological Services on Jul 11 2022 (see record 2022-79840-001). In the original article, changes were needed to clarify the timeline of state legalizations of prescriptive authority for psychologists (RxP) and the current status of RxP with regard to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). In the second paragraph of the "RxP From 2011 to Present" section, the citations relating to legalization in Idaho and Iowa were corrected, and the year in the Prescribing Psychologist reference was corrected in the References section and in text citations throughout. Additionally, in the last paragraph of the "RxP From 2011 to Present" section, the text was updated to clarify that at the present time, prescribing psychologists are not able to prescribe for the BOP. All versions of this article have been corrected.] Since the endorsement of prescriptive authority for psychologists (RxP) by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1995, it has become legal in five states (Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, and New Mexico). The Department of Defense, including the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and U.S. Navy, as well as the Public Health Service, and the Indian Health Service, continue to utilize prescribing psychologists as well. There are now over 200 prescribing psychologists in the United States. Five APA-designated RxP training programs offer a pathway to attain prescription privileges and future board certification when approved. The purpose of this article is to provide information for those with minimal exposure to RxP, updates for those more informed, and recommendations for the next phase of RxP. This article examines scholarship related to RxP as well as newsletter columns, state legislative efforts, current RxP laws, policies, training programs, and critical events in the RxP history. Public access to quality and comprehensive mental health services can be expected to improve as more psychologists complete the necessary RxP training and licensure requirements. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).