Could prescribing be part of the clinical psychologist's role?

Purpose – The number of mental health professionals able to prescribe has, for a number of years, reached beyond medics, but UK clinical psychologists are not yet permitted to train to prescribe. The purpose of this paper is to ask if prescribing could be part of the clinical psychologist's role. Design/methodology/approach – This article lays out three core areas of discussion: what was the drive for non-medical prescribing? Could psychologists be trained to prescribe? Could prescribing be another tool for psychologists? Currently, UK clinical psychologists are not able to prescribe unless they have an additional qualification as a medic, pharmacist or nurse. This paper ends by considering the position of a clinical psychologist who is also a registered nurse and wonders about the pros and cons of training to prescribe. Findings – It was argued that clinical clinical psychologists who are also registered nurses are best placed and currently perhaps the only clinical psychologists able to train to prescribe. The author questioned his motives for considering training to prescribe and looked at the risks in prescribing. Originality/value – The author is unsure if he wants to pursue prescribing privileges but makes no objection to clinical psychologists prescribing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]