Given that clinical psychologists cannot prescribe medications, why should it be important for them to have...

Question

Given that clinical psychologists cannot prescribe medications, why should it be important for them to have knowledge of synaptic transmission and the drugs that influence it?

Answer 1

Even though they don't prescribe medications they have to deal with the people who are on medications and they should know how the medications work so that they can see if their patients are experiencing side affects. They should also have an idea of how the medication is working so that they can tell if their patient is benefiting from the medicine. Remember a patient usually sees the psychologist more than they see the psychiatrist. So the psychologist is the one to see any adverse reactions and if the medication isn't working. IN this case the psychologist is the gate keeper between the patient and the psychiatrist so they are the first one's to know if something is wrong.

Answer 2

That answer wasn't good enough? Well I understand, I hate the whole idea of medicating the problem, nothing like treatment, when you can't find a cure. But this is why I hate the field of psychology, it conflicts on this fundemental pricipal of "chemical imbalance" I see it as just another way to numb the individual, and force a mental change, by making it harder to enter psychosis. It doesn't in any way cure the disorder, people are more complicated then having on/off switches, and this doesn't give credit to that. Its more or less a product of a society that whats cures fast. Also I don't know were she gets her satistics but there is more people that go to psychiatrist, just psychiatrist, then ever go to both, or just psychologist. Its a major problem in the industry as far as I'm concern, were we're lossing sight of the true fixes, for ease treatments....

Answer 3

PAs can prescribe under the supervision of a medical doctor. Psychologists are not medical doctors and therefore cannot prescribe.