NYT20020731.0050|NN 2002-07-31|NN 11:12|NN A4250|NN &|CC Cx1|NN f|SYM ;|: tab-z|JJ r|LS a|DT BC-PSYCHOLOGISTS-DRUGS-S|NNP 07|CD -|- 31|CD 0945|CD BC-PSYCHOLOGISTS-DRUGS-SCIAM-ART-NYTSF|NNP PRESCRIPTION|NNP PRIVILEGES|NNP MAKE|VB SOME|NNP PSYCHOLOGISTS|NNP ANXIOUS|NNP (|( FOR|IN IMMEDIATE|NNP RELEASE|NNP )|) (|( Includes|VBZ color|NN image|NN of|IN a|DT prescription|NN bottle|NN with|IN pills|NNS .|. )|) (|( ATTENTION|NNP EDITORS|NNP :|: This|DT article|NN is|VBZ for|IN use|NN by|IN clients|NNS of|IN The|DT New|NNP York|NNP Times|NNP Syndicate|NNP 's|POS SCIENTIFIC|NNP AMERICAN|NNP NEWS|NNP SERVICE|NNP .|. 
For|IN information|NN about|IN becoming|VBG a|DT client|NN of|IN this|DT service|NN ,|, contact|NN the|DT New|NNP York|NNP Times|NNP Syndicate|NNP sales|NNS representatives|NNS listed|VBN at|IN the|DT end|NN of|IN the|DT text|NN .|. )|) 
BY|NNP CHRISTINE|NNP SOARES|NNP c.2002|NN Scientific|NNP American|NNP 
Intending|NNP to|TO ease|VB consumer|NN access|NN to|TO mental|JJ health|NN care|NN ,|, New|NNP Mexico|NNP legislators|NNS in|IN March|NNP passed|VBD a|DT law|NN allowing|VBG psychologists|NNS to|TO prescribe|VB psychotropic|JJ medications|NNS ,|, such|JJ as|IN antidepressants|NNS .|. 

The|DT state|NN 's|POS action|NN ,|, the|DT first|JJ in|IN the|DT nation|NN ,|, has|VBZ the|DT blessing|NN of|IN the|DT American|NNP Psychological|NNP Association|NNP (|( APA|NNP )|) ,|, which|WDT considers|VBZ prescriptive|JJ authority|NN a|DT logical|JJ extension|NN of|IN psychologists|NNS '|POS role|NN as|IN health|NN -|- care|NN providers|NNS .|. 
But|CC powerful|JJ groups|NNS ,|, including|VBG the|DT American|NNP Medical|NNP Association|NNP ,|, oppose|VBP the|DT idea|NN and|CC have|VBP a|DT surprising|JJ source|NN of|IN support|NN :|: psychologists|NNS themselves|PRP ,|, some|DT of|IN whom|WP call|NN it|PRP a|DT radical|JJ experiment|NN and|CC fear|NN that|IN the|DT most|RBS likely|JJ victim|NN will|MD be|VB the|DT science|NN of|IN psychology|NN .|. 

"|'' I|PRP am|VBP concerned|VBN that|IN nonmedically|RB trained|VBN people|NNS as|IN legitimate|JJ prescribers|NNS of|IN drugs|NNS will|MD not|RB be|VB accepted|VBN by|IN the|DT American|JJ public|NN ,|, "|'' says|VBZ psychologist|NN Gerald|NNP C.|NN Davison|NNP of|IN the|DT University|NNP of|IN Southern|NNP California|NNP .|. 

The|DT APA|NNP has|VBZ spent|VBN more|JJR than|IN $1|NN million|CD to|TO help|VB state|VB psychological|JJ associations|NNS develop|VBP and|CC lobby|VB for|IN such|JJ prescription|NN privileges|NNS -|- -|- or|CC "|'' RxP|NNP "|'' -|- -|- legislation|NN .|. 
A|DT total|NN of|IN 31|CD state|NN psychology|NN associations|NNS have|VBP task|NN forces|NNS dedicated|VBN to|TO developing|VBG and|CC lobbying|VBG for|IN prescription|NN -|- privileges|NNS legislation|NN .|. 

The|DT version|NN endorsed|VBN by|IN the|DT APA|NNP would|MD license|VB doctoral|JJ -|- level|NN psychologists|NNS to|TO independently|RB prescribe|VB psychotropic|JJ drugs|NNS after|IN completing|VBG 300|CD hours|NNS of|IN classroom|NN instruction|NN in|IN neuroscience|NN ,|, physiology|NN and|CC pharmacology|NN ,|, followed|VBN by|IN four|CD months|NNS '|POS supervised|JJ treatment|NN of|IN 100|CD patients|NNS .|. 

Critics|NNS say|VBP that|WDT is|VBZ not|RB nearly|RB enough|RB compared|VBN with|IN other|JJ prescribers|NNS ,|, such|JJ as|IN M.D.|NN psychiatrists|NNS or|CC nurse|NN practitioners|NNS who|WP have|VBP at|IN least|JJS six|CD years|NNS '|POS medical|JJ education|NN and|CC clinical|JJ experience|NN .|. 

Neither|DT Davison|NNP nor|CC most|RBS other|JJ RxP|NNP opponents|NNS doubt|VBP the|DT efficacy|NN of|IN medications|NNS .|. 
Their|PRP$ greatest|JJS objection|NN is|VBZ to|TO the|DT notion|NN of|IN turning|VBG psychology|NN into|IN a|DT prescribing|VBG profession|NN .|. 

In|IN a|DT field|NN that|WDT has|VBZ struggled|VBN long|JJ and|CC hard|JJ to|TO prove|VB that|DT mind|NN ,|, mood|NN and|CC behavior|NN can|MD be|VB studied|VBN empirically|RB ,|, the|DT past|JJ decade|NN ,|, Davison|NNP says|VBZ ,|, has|VBZ seen|VBN "|'' exciting|JJ developments|NNS "|'' that|WDT demonstrate|VBP the|DT validity|NN of|IN various|JJ psychotherapeutic|JJ interventions|NNS and|CC the|DT psychosocial|JJ -|- behavioral|JJ models|NNS on|IN which|WDT they|PRP are|VBP based|VBN .|. 

"|'' The|DT timing|NN is|VBZ peculiar|JJ to|TO abandon|VB psychological|JJ science|NN or|CC to|TO convert|VB it|PRP to|TO a|DT medical|JJ science|NN ,|, "|'' explains|VBZ Elaine|NNP M.|NN Heiby|NNP of|IN the|DT University|NNP of|IN Hawaii|NNP ,|, who|WP chairs|VBZ a|DT committee|NN of|IN the|DT 1,000|CD -|- member|NN American|NNP Association|NNP of|IN Applied|NNP and|CC Preventive|NNP Psychology|NNP that|WDT is|VBZ concerned|VBN about|IN the|DT medicalization|NN of|IN psychology|NN .|. 

"|'' Making|VBG sure|JJ that|IN practicing|VBG psychologists|NNS are|VBP giving|VBG patients|NNS interventions|NNS based|VBN on|IN the|DT best|JJS available|JJ psychological|JJ science|NN should|MD be|VB the|DT APA|NNP 's|POS priority|NN ,|, "|'' argues|VBZ Emory|NNP University|NNP 's|POS Scott|NNP Lilienfeld|NNP ,|, president|NN of|IN the|DT Society|NNP for|IN a|DT Science|NNP of|IN Clinical|NNP Psychology|NNP (|( SSCP|NNP )|) .|. 

More|JJR than|IN any|DT philosophical|JJ betrayal|NN of|IN psychology|NN ,|, RxP|NNP opponents|NNS fear|VBP that|IN the|DT movement|NN will|MD undermine|VB the|DT science|NN they|PRP love|VBP .|. 
They|PRP believe|VBP that|IN if|IN prescriptive|JJ authority|NN becomes|VBZ the|DT norm|NN ,|, biomedical|JJ requirements|NNS will|MD inevitably|RB seep|NN into|IN the|DT psychology|NN curriculum|NN ,|, at|IN the|DT expense|NN of|IN traditional|JJ psychological|JJ science|NN and|CC methodology|NN .|. 

Lilienfeld|NNP feels|VBZ that|IN many|JJ clinical|JJ psychologists|NNS already|RB receive|VBP inadequate|JJ training|NN in|IN fundamentals|NNS such|JJ as|IN research|NN design|NN and|CC evaluation|NN .|. 

RxP|NNP opponents|NNS charge|VBP the|DT APA|NNP with|IN pushing|VBG its|PRP$ prescription|NN -|- privileges|NNS agenda|NN without|IN adequately|RB assessing|VBG support|NN for|IN it|PRP in|IN the|DT field|NN .|. 
The|DT 300|CD -|- member|NN SSCP|NNP is|VBZ the|DT only|JJ group|NN within|IN the|DT APA|NNP to|TO have|VB taken|VBN a|DT formal|JJ stance|NN against|IN prescription|NN privileges|NNS .|. 

The|DT APA|NNP has|VBZ scheduled|VBN 30|CD minutes|NNS at|IN its|PRP$ meeting|NN in|IN August|NNP for|IN an|DT RxP|NNP debate|NN ,|, but|CC its|PRP$ leadership|NN believes|VBZ it|PRP already|RB has|VBZ an|DT accurate|JJ sense|NN of|IN support|NN for|IN its|PRP$ RxP|NNP policy|NN .|. 

"|'' Except|IN for|IN this|DT small|JJ vocal|JJ minority|NN ,|, we|PRP have|VBP just|RB not|RB gotten|VBN a|DT lot|NN of|IN groundswell|NN against|IN this|DT from|IN members|NNS ,|, "|'' says|VBZ APA|NNP president|NN Philip|NNP G.|NN Zimbardo|NNP of|IN Stanford|NNP University|NNP .|. 

With|IN prescription|NN privileges|NNS now|RB a|DT reality|NN in|IN one|CD state|NN ,|, some|DT RxP|NNP opponents|NNS concede|VBP that|IN it|PRP may|MD be|VB too|RB late|RB .|. 

This|DT year|NN four|CD states|NNS besides|IN New|NNP Mexico|NNP -|- -|- Georgia|NNP ,|, Hawaii|NNP ,|, Illinois|NNP and|CC Tennessee|NNP -|- -|- have|VBP pending|VBG legislation|NN for|IN psychologist|NN prescription|NN privileges|NNS .|. 
Over|IN the|DT past|JJ decade|NN ,|, 14|CD state|NN legislatures|NNS have|VBP considered|VBN such|JJ laws|NNS .|. 

Between|IN 1991|CD and|CC 1997|CD ,|, a|DT U.S.|NNP Department|NNP of|IN Defense|NNP psychopharmacology|NN demonstration|NN project|NN involving|VBG two|CD to|TO four|CD years|NNS '|POS training|NN produced|VBD 10|CD military|JJ psychologists|NNS who|WP can|MD write|VB prescriptions|NNS .|. 

For|IN more|JJR information|NN on|IN the|DT topics|NNS covered|VBN in|IN the|DT Scientific|NNP American|NNP News|NNP Service|NNP ,|, visit|NN www|NN .|. sciam|NN .|. com|NN .|. 
(|( Distributed|VBN by|IN New|NNP York|NNP Times|NNP Special|JJ Features|NNPS )|) EDITOR|NNP :|: Visit|NNP The|DT New|NNP York|NNP Times|NNP Syndicate|NNP Web|NNP site|NN at|IN http|NN :|: /|NN /|NN www|NN .|. nytimes|NNS .|. com|NN /|NN syndicate|NN for|IN more|JJR information|NN on|IN SCIENTIFIC|NNP AMERICAN|NNP NEWS|NNP SERVICE|NNP and|CC other|JJ features|NNS .|. 
NONSUBSCRIBERS|NNP :|: To|TO subscribe|VB to|TO SCIENTIFIC|NNP AMERICAN|NNP NEWS|NNP SERVICE|NNP ,|, please|VB contact|NN the|DT following|VBG New|NNP York|NNP Times|NNP Syndicate|NNP sales|NNS representative|NN :|: -|- -|- NORTH|NNP AMERICA|NNP :|: Ana|NNP Pena|NNP at|IN 212|CD -|- 499|CD -|- 3333|CD .|. -|- -|- INTERNATIONAL|NNP :|: Claire|NNP Saint-|NNP Andre|NNP ,|, in|IN Paris|NNP ,|, 33|CD -|- 1|CD -|- 53|CD -|- 05|CD -|- 76|CD -|- 55|CD or|CC saint-andre|JJ (|( at|IN )|) fr|NN .|. inter|NN .|. net|JJ .|. -|- -|- LATIN|NNP AMERICA|NNP :|: Isabel|NNP Amorim|NNP Sicherle|NNP ,|, in|IN Sao|NNP Paulo|NNP ,|, 55|CD -|- 11|CD -|- 30233331|CD or|CC sicheia|NN (|( at|IN )|) nytimes|NNS .|. com|NN .|. NYT-07|NN -|- 31|CD -|- 02|CD 1112|CD EDT|NNP 