DENVER — A state bill that would allow psychologists with additional training to prescribe mental health medications passed the House on Thursday morning.
The proposed law passed easily in a 56-6 vote, getting hearty bi-partisan support. Now it goes onto the Senate.
Supporters have said the bill would help expand access to desperately needed mental healthcare in Colorado. Right now, only psychiatrists or medical doctors can prescribe in the state. Waitlists to see one are already long.
"The average waitlist to see a psychiatric provider is 3-6 months, on a good day," said Dr. Jin Lee, a pediatric psychologist.
For children, the waitlist is even longer if you're lucky enough to find one taking new patients.
"The reality is [that] these kids are not getting the help they need so what ends up happening is that their mental health concerns continue to escalate," said Dr. Lee. "I've also seen a lot of suicidal adolescents."
According to the CDC, suicide is a leading cause of death for children in the US.
Dr. Lee said families and patients don't have time to wait for medication, if it's needed.
"The question is, do we need to wait until that magnitude of the problem to do something about it? The answer should be no," she said.
Sylvia Tawse said her son who lives in Colorado has a significant mental illness, schizoaffective disorder. She's also in favor of the proposed law.
"There's simply not enough licensed psychiatrists in the state of Colorado to be able to serve those with a mental illness," said Tawse. "He was about to run out of those meds in two days time."
She said her son moved to a group home and had to switch psychiatrists because he couldn't get an appointment quick enough. Luckily, his former psychiatrist took time during their vacation to renew his prescription.
"Not everybody has witnessed what happens when a loved one with a mental illness goes off their medications but it can be very, very disturbing," said Tawse. "It can even be scary for some."
In order for her son and others to remain stable and healthy, she believes psychologists with additional training should be able to prescribe medication.
It's something Dr. Lee hopes she'll be able to do soon, too.
"We're in crisis and we need to do anything and everything we can, safely and effective, to help the community," said Dr. Lee.
Dr. Lee said that if this bill were to become law, prescribing psychologists would not work alone. They would work in collaboration with their patient's physician.
Psychologists interested in prescribing medication would also need to complete a two-year post doctorate master's degree in clinical psychopharmacology, pass the board exam, and then go through clinical rotation training.
Dr. Lee said New Mexico has already been allowing psychologists to prescribe for more than 20 years.
"They have been really successful in reducing the number of suicides and suicide rate and the mental health disorder and diagnosis rate as well," she said.
Representative Tammy Story was one of the six legislators who voted no on the bill:
I recognize that there is a mental health crisis in Colorado and that patients face significant challenges surrounding access to services across the state. My concern was based on the reduced foundational medical training and limited clinical hours compared to others with prescriptive authority, such as Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and Psychiatrists. Another apprehension I had with this bill was in regards to the members of the oversight board, who may have no foundational medical training.
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