Evan Eyler, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of psychiatry and family medicine at the Larner College of Medicine, commented to Vermont Public for a story on a bill that Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed into law recently that will give psychologists with doctoral degrees the ability to prescribe mental health medications.
The move, which has been debated in Montpelier for years, is not without controversy.
The Vermont Medical Society opposes the push to expand prescribing authority, as does the Vermont Psychiatric Association. These provider groups, whose members can already prescribe drugs, argue that psychologists lack the medical training necessary to safely dispense medications. They’ve also claimed that in the states that previously expanded psychologists’ power, access hasn’t measurably improved. Few psychologists have actually sought this enhanced authority, they argue, and so creating new licensing systems won’t be worth the investment if few providers sign up.
“Creating another class of prescribers is an outdated idea that, at the bottom line, is wasteful of state resources,” Evan Eyler, an associate professor of psychiatry and family medicine at the University of Vermont, told lawmakers.