Psychology's drug problem: do we need a fix or should we just say no?
Five contextual factors give rise to the proposal that psychologists secure prescription privileges: (a) the historical overattachment of applied psychology to psychotherapy; (b) the oversupply of psychotherapists; (c) the rise of managed care; (d) the hegemony of syndromal classification; and (e) the weakening of the medical guild and rise of drug company attention to psychopharmacology. Whereas some of these factors present real problems for psychology, the acquisition of prescription privileges by psychologists is not the proper response. The cost to the discipline in loss of professional identify, safety, and training disruption is too great. Instead, the profession should build a more honorable alternative based on psychological science.
Hayes
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SC
Department of Psychology, University of Nevad, Reno 89557-0062, USA.
Heiby
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D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000639:trends; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D011586:Psychology, Clinical / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States