Colorado is in the midst of a mental health crisis for all ages, with nearly 3,200 psychologists providing addiction counseling and talk therapy statewide. What they cannot do is prescribe medication.
Psychologists should refer a person to a psychiatrist or another doctor if they determine that one of their patients needs an antidepressant, anxiety drug, or antipsychotic. This is a process that can take months, especially when trying to find a psychiatrist with openings, and requires patients to explain their mental health struggles once again.
But what if Colorado, like five other states, allowed psychologists to prescribe mental health medications? That’s the goal. legislation It was introduced at the state capitol this week and proposed by a task force of 80 psychologists formed two years ago.
Psychologists and other proponents of the proposal, including strong health policy advocate Healthier Colorado, have called for a first step to increase access to care at a time when Colorado is in desperate need of mental health professionals. He said it was one step.
But others, especially doctors and psychiatrists, warn that the idea is dangerous. They say only people with a medical degree and in-depth knowledge of the side effects of starting or stopping the use of powerful drugs should prescribe them.
read the full text at ColoradoSun.com.
