Pharmacotherapy for Psychologists: Prescribing and Collaborative Roles

Psychologists are becoming increasingly involved in pharmacotherapy—as prescribers of psychotropic medications, as collaborators with prescribers, and as sources of information, advice, and support to clients and health care professionals. These new roles represent one of the most significant changes in the practice of psychology in recent times.

This book takes a comprehensive look at how pharmacotherapy is reshaping the practice of psychology. It argues the benefits of extending prescriptive authority to appropriately trained psychologists and chronicles the experiences of prescribing psychologists.

Furthermore, it explores emerging issues that prescribing and collaborating psychologists face, such as the need to maintain a psychological orientation while integrating medication management with psychotherapy, the need to build and maintain strong relationships with physicians, issues with insurance companies and managed care agencies, professional practice standards and guidelines in relation to pharmacotherapy, and the evaluation of drug research.

With its strong practical orientation, this book is a must-read for psychologists who have or want to obtain prescriptive authority, as well as those who wish to assume more collaborative roles within primary care and other settings.

Contributors

Foreword: The Challenges of Substantive Change
Patrick H. DeLeon

Acknowledgments

Introduction

I. The Roots of the Prescriptive Authority Movement

1. Making the Case for Prescriptive Authority
   Mark Muse and Robert E. McGrath
2. The Evolution of Training Guidelines in Pharmacotherapy for Psychologists
   Linda F. Campbell and Ronald Fox
3. The Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project: What Did It Teach Us, and Where Are We Now?
   Morgan T. Sammons

II. General Practice Issues

4. Nuts and Bolts of Prescriptive Practice
   Glenn A. Ally
5. Ethical Considerations in Pharmacotherapy for Psychologists
   Robert E. McGrath and Beth N. Rom-Rymer
6. Integration of Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy by Prescribing–Medical Psychologists: A Psychobiosocial Model of Care
   Elaine S. LeVine and Elaine Orabona Foster
7. Evaluating Drug Research
   Robert E. McGrath

III. Settings and Populations

8. In the Private Practice Setting: A Survey of the Experiences of Prescribing Psychologists
   Elaine S. LeVine and Jack Wiggins
9. Psychologists in Primary Care
   Alan R. Gruber
10. Prescribing for School-Aged Patients
    Bruce K. McCormick
11. Prescribing in the Public Health Service
    Kevin M. McGuinness and Michael R. Tilus

IV. Looking Forward

12. Lessons From the Trenches: Getting Laws Passed
    Robert E. McGrath
13. The Future of Prescribing Psychology
    Bret A. Moore

Index

About the Editors

Robert E. McGrath, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he currently directs both the doctoral program in clinical psychology and the master of science program in clinical psychopharmacology. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology in 1984 from Auburn University. He has since authored approximately 150 publications and presentations, primarily in the areas of assessment and measurement, statistical methodology, and professional issues in pharmacotherapy.

Dr. McGrath has been a candidate for president of APA, serves on the APA Division 12 (Society of Clinical Psychology) Committee on Science and Practice and is a former president of APA Division 55 (American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy). He is the three-time winner of the Martin Mayman Award presented by the Society for Personality Assessment for contributions to the literature on personality assessment.

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP, is a clinical psychologist with the Indian Health Service and a former active-duty Army psychologist. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology in 2004 from the Adler School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, Illinois, and his master's degree in clinical psychopharmacology in 2009 from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Dr. Moore is coeditor of Living and Surviving in Harm's Way: A Psychological Treatment Handbook for Pre- and Post-Deployment of Military Personnel and coauthor of The Veterans and Active Duty Military Psychotherapy Treatment Planner.

He is an active member of APA Division 55 (American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy), former membership chair for Division 18 (Psychologists in Public Service), and RxP chair for Division 19 (Society for Military Psychology).