Six states allow appropriately trained and credentialed psychologists to prescribe medication for mental and behavioral health conditions: Louisiana, Illinois, Iowa, Idaho, Colorado, and Utah.1Illinois General Assembly. 225 ILCS 15/4.22Justia. Colorado Code § 12-245-309 The movement began in New Mexico and has spread unevenly since, with each state defining the authority differently — some through a certificate, some through a full prescribing license — and setting its own training rules through statute and board regulation.
What a Prescribing Psychologist Can Prescribe
The authority is narrow by design. In Louisiana, it covers medications used to manage nervous, mental, emotional, behavioral, substance abuse, and cognitive disorders, and nothing outside that lane; a prescribing psychologist cannot treat primary medical conditions unrelated to mental health. Prescribing psychologists in Louisiana may also order and interpret laboratory tests needed for pretreatment screening and side-effect monitoring.3Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana R.S. 37:1360.61
Controlled substances are heavily restricted. Illinois and Louisiana both prohibit psychologists from prescribing narcotics.4Illinois General Assembly. 225 ILCS 15/4.33Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana R.S. 37:1360.61 Illinois further bars Schedule II controlled substances and certain Schedule III benzodiazepines.
Training and Credentialing Requirements
Prescribing authority sits on top of the doctoral degree, not in place of it. Candidates typically need a specialized master’s in clinical psychopharmacology and prerequisite science coursework. Illinois requires preparation in chemistry or biochemistry, human anatomy, human physiology, and microbiology.1Illinois General Assembly. 225 ILCS 15/4.2 Colorado requires a master of science in clinical psychopharmacology with at least 450 hours of instruction in core subjects including neuroscience, pharmacology, and pathophysiology.2Justia. Colorado Code § 12-245-309
Clinical training is substantial and varies by state. Colorado requires a supervised practicum of at least 750 hours involving at least 150 clients.2Justia. Colorado Code § 12-245-309 Iowa requires a practicum of at least 400 hours and treatment of at least 100 individual patients.5Iowa Administrative Rules. Iowa Admin. Code 481-883.3 – Section: Practicum Illinois specifies a 14-month full-time clinical training program with medical rotations in family medicine, internal medicine, and psychiatry.1Illinois General Assembly. 225 ILCS 15/4.2
Candidates must also pass a standardized examination. Iowa, for example, requires the Psychopharmacology Examination for Psychologists. A conditional phase typically follows. In Iowa, that means at least two years of supervised practice during which the psychologist must consider at least 300 patients for treatment before applying for independent prescribing authority.6Iowa Administrative Rules. Iowa Admin. Code 481-883.4 – Section: Supervised practice
Coordination With the Primary Care Provider
Even after full authority is granted, prescribing psychologists do not operate in isolation. Iowa requires a cooperative relationship with the patient’s primary care provider so the patient receives appropriate medical examinations and so any medication fits the patient’s overall health picture. Significant changes in the patient’s condition must be discussed with that provider, and if the primary care physician objects to the proposed medication, the psychologist cannot prescribe it.7Iowa Administrative Rules. Iowa Admin. Code 481-883.7 – Section: Consultation with primary care providers
Because these laws and board rules change, the specific coursework, hours, examinations, and supervisory conditions that apply to any individual applicant are the ones in force in that state at the time of application.