BILL NUMBER: S263
SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to collaborative pres-
criptive authority for psychologists
 
PURPOSE:
To allow certain licensed psychologists to prescribe medication.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds a new section 7601-b to the education law.
Section 2 amends section 7602 of the education law to include a state
board for psychology.
Section 3 amends section 7606 of the education law to describe prescrib-
ing or administering drugs as a treatment.
Section 4 states the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Doctor shortages and inadequate care options have created a very danger-
ous mental healthcare crisis in New York State. With resources stretched
to the limit, psychiatrists and other prescribing mental health profes-
sionals are in short supply and the demand far exceeds the capabilities
of the existing network.
Under this legislation, prescribing psychologists will work collabora-
tively with their patients as well as with all of the other healthcare
providers in the community and conduct a thorough review of a patient's
history and symptom presentation. If they determine that medication may
be appropriate for treatment, they will prescribe that medication but
may also recommend a combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.
Due to shortages in these types of healthcare providers, more people
will be able to get the care they need. RxP has been an unequivocal
success in New Mexico and Louisiana where psychologists are prescribing.
Overwhelmingly, primary care physicians report working with prescribing
psychologists to be a great benefit to them. It is of note that United
States military and civilian psychologists who are currently permitted
to prescribe, have written hundreds of thousands of prescriptions with-
out a single complaint or malpractice case in 20 years of work.
Prescribing psychologists are dedicated to the highest professional
standards. They spend four times as many didactic hours on the study
Clinical Psychopharmacology than primary care physicians.
The prescriptive authority of psychologists is limited to the medica-
tions that treat the mental illnesses and the behavioral disorders. The
history of prescribing psychologists is that they prescribe (60-70%
fewer medications than other health prescribers. Moreover, they will be
more likely, than other health prescribers, to "un-prescribe" medica-
tions because they are aware of behavioral therapeutic strategies that
can be more effective than medications, thus reducing side effect
complications.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2022-2024: S66A - Died in Higher Education
2021-2022: S560/A3205 - Died in Higher Education
2019-2020: S7758/A6132 - Died in Higher Education
2017-2018: S4498/A2851 - Died in Higher Education
2015-2016: S.5824/A9236 - Died in Higher Education
2013-2014: S7488 - Died in Higher Education
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effec-
tive immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or
regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective
date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before
such effective date.

Statutes affected:
S263: 7602 education law, 7606 education law, 7606(1) education law