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Could prescribing be part of the clinical psychologist's role?

Andrew Newman (Based at West of England Forensic Service, Avon and Wiltshire Partnership NHS Trust, Bristol, UK)

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice

ISSN: 1755-6228

Article publication date: 29 March 2013

1219

Abstract

Purpose

The number of mental health professionals able to prescribe has, for a number of years, reached beyond medics, but UK clinical psychologists are not yet permitted to train to prescribe. The purpose of this paper is to ask if prescribing could be part of the clinical psychologist's role.

Design/methodology/approach

This article lays out three core areas of discussion: what was the drive for non‐medical prescribing? Could psychologists be trained to prescribe? Could prescribing be another tool for psychologists? Currently, UK clinical psychologists are not able to prescribe unless they have an additional qualification as a medic, pharmacist or nurse. This paper ends by considering the position of a clinical psychologist who is also a registered nurse and wonders about the pros and cons of training to prescribe.

Findings

It was argued that clinical clinical psychologists who are also registered nurses are best placed and currently perhaps the only clinical psychologists able to train to prescribe. The author questioned his motives for considering training to prescribe and looked at the risks in prescribing.

Originality/value

The author is unsure if he wants to pursue prescribing privileges but makes no objection to clinical psychologists prescribing.

Keywords

Citation

Newman, A. (2013), "Could prescribing be part of the clinical psychologist's role?", The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 26-34. https://doi.org/10.1108/17556221311308005

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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