American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy
Division 55 of the American Psychological Association
Division Documents
(Bylaws, Agendas,
Minutes)
Training Programs
Continuing Education
Meetings and Links
of Interest
Links of Interest
APA’s Division 55, The American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy (ASAP) has developed proposed Guidelines for Collaborative and Independent Practice in Pharmacotherapy. To view and comment on the proposed Guidelines please follow this link.
Division 55 is pleased to announce a seed grant program for State Chapters to develop and/or distribute educational materials related to psychologists' involvement in pharmacotherapy. For further information select the following link to the online Request For Proposal. You may also contact Dr Robert McGrath directly there are any questions about completing the proposal electronically.
A new practitioner organization, National Alliance of Professional Psychology Providers (NAPPP) has taken a strong position about RxP training, and has corresponded directly APA's BEA on this issue. You may read the BEA's most recent response to NAPPP here. Additional letters between APA and NAPPP may be found at this location. To read more about NAPPP's position regarding RxP training and correspondence with APA about this issue, visit the NAPPP site at NAPPP.org.
2006 saw significant progress in RxP activities in Hawaii. Jill Oliveira, Ph.D. and Robin Miyamoto, Psy.D., Hawaii Psychological Association Co-chairs, RxP Committee write about the legislative year and next steps in this article.
9 February 2006: A lawsuit has been filed in Federal court in Los Angeles alleging that patients in California are having their constitutional rights violated by not receiving constitutionally adequate treatment because of the state's and county's inability to provide competent psychiatric care to patients who are in custody, in the state mental hospitals, in county jails, and county mental health facilities. The three plaintiffs allegedly harmed by the State of California contend that the necessary numbers of competent psychiatrists are not available and never will be due to the declining numbers of practicing psychiatrists and the continued unattractiveness of psychiatry as a specialty to American medical school graduates. In addition to the State of California, the complaint names a number of people as defendants including Governor Schwarzenegger, the Secretary of the Department of Corrections, and the Sheriff of Los Angeles County. Of specific importance to Division 55 and psychologists in general, is that the lawsuit asks the court to amend the statute prohibiting psychologists to prescribe medication. The plaintiffs are asking the State of California to afford appropriately trained psychologists prescriptive authority as a remedy to California's access to care problem. Allowing appropriately trained psychologists to prescribe medication is the least restrictive way that California can provide constitutionally adequate treatment. For further information, please contact Dr. Howard Rubin at hsrubin@aol.com, or Dr. John Caccavale at doctorjc1@comcast.net.
Documents associated with this lawsuit may be found on this page.