In an effort to improve access to mental health care in underserved rural communities and across Pennsylvania, Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23) has introduced a bill to grant qualified psychologists the authority to prescribe certain medications.
“Allowing specially trained psychologists to prescribe medications would help bridge a critical gap in care and expand timely access to mental health care for underserved patients,” Yaw said. “By expanding the mental health workforce in a responsible and structured way, we can ensure more Pennsylvanians can access the care they need, when they need it.”
Senate Bill 1243 will establish clear guidelines for education, training and scope of practice for prescribing psychologists. It will also outline a collaborative care model requiring coordination between prescribing psychologists and a patient’s primary care provider, while defining a formulary of medications eligible for prescription.
Under Yaw’s legislation, psychologists seeking prescriptive authority would be required to complete extensive education and training. In addition to earning a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree, candidates would complete clinical rotations, obtain a post-doctoral master’s degree focused on psychopharmacology and the biological basis of behavior, pass a rigorous national examination and undergo supervised clinical experience.
The initiative comes in response to ongoing concerns about limited access to psychiatric services. During an April 2025 public hearing held by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, where Yaw serves as chairman of the Board of Directors, testimony highlighted that many patients, particularly in rural areas, face wait times of several weeks to receive care due to a critical shortage of psychiatrists.
The federal government, through both the Department of Defense and the U.S. Public Health Service, along with seven states including Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, New Mexico, Louisiana, Colorado and Utah, already permit psychologists with advanced training to prescribe psychotropic medications. In these settings, prescribing psychologists have demonstrated a strong track record of safety and effectiveness for more than two decades.
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