Prescriptive authority for psychologists: Despite deficits in education and knowledge?

As some psychologists advocate for prescription privileges, the need for closer analysis of the differences between psychologists and psychiatrists grows. Our data reveal key gaps in psychologists' training and significant limitations in their knowledge pertaining to prescribing relative to psychiatrists. Attitudes toward prescribing and estimates of psychologists' competence in prescribing are presented. The authors believe that psychologists' deficits in training and pertinent knowledge constitute major hurdles to competent prescribing. Caution is warranted about expanding psychologists' scope of practice to include prescribing.