Opinions of Psychologists in Poland Regarding the Possibility of Prescribing Psychotropic Drugs—A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/Objectives: Discussions about the possibility of psychologists prescribing medications have been ongoing for several years. The study aims to ascertain the opinion of the Polish professional community of psychologists on the right of psychologists to prescribe psychotropic drugs. Methods: The study was conducted on online forums (Porozumienie Psychologów) associated with psychologists from all over the world from 15 April 2023 to 30 September 2023. The participants were asked to fill out a Google survey consisting of 26 questions. Results: A total of 677 psychologists participated in the study, including 580 (85.7%) women and 97 (14.3%) men. The majority of the respondents were at the peak of their life activity, between 30 and 50 years of age. A large group of respondents believed that a psychologist should have the right to prescribe psychotropic drugs (46.5%) and declared their participation in activities to promote these rights (52.9%). The vast majority of respondents reported that psychologists authorized to prescribe drugs should complete additional courses as part of the pharmacology specialization (74.8%) and should pass an exam in this field (73.4%) or should complete additional courses in the field of pharmacology (74.8%). Such opinions were much more common in the group with psychological specializations. In this group, more people allowed for such a privilege for those who have completed studies, have documented five years of experience, or have a psychotherapist certificate (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: There may be many societal needs that could be successfully met by psychologists obtaining prescriptive privileges. However, psychologists ought to understand that our obligations need to transcend guild concerns and appropriate qualifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]