Memorializes Eugene A. Shapiro (1919-2021). A trailblazer in professional psychology, Shapiro played key roles institutionally in establishing psychology as a major health profession. He won a scholarship to Rutgers to complete his BS in psychology, and later won acceptance into the doctoral program in clinical psychology at New York University (NYU). He earned his PhD from NYU in 1953. Gene, along with Jack Wiggins, was instrumental in increasing the availability of psychological services to military personnel and their families under programs such as the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services. Gene helped foreground the interests of practicing psychologists in American Psychological Association (APA), upgrading the Office for Professional Practice to the Practice Directorate. He also helped found the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University, the first university-based professional school in the country, and was a pioneer in the prescribing psychologist movement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

La mayor parte de la discusión crítica sobre la autoridad prescriptiva de los psicólogos se ha centrado en la cuestión de si esta es la dirección acertada para la profesión. Los autores sostienen que el discurso sobre la autoridad prescriptiva debería progresar hacia la identificación de los retos que esperan a la psicología como profesión prescriptiva, con la meta de anticipar y redirigir aquellos retos tan pronto como sea posible dentro del proceso. Los autores identifican un número de estos retos potenciales, incluyendo cuestiones tanto generales como de identidad profesional como cuestiones más prácticas. En algunos casos, los autores expresan sus opiniones sobre estos temas, pero su intención es la de estimular una discusión razonada sobre las cuestiones con las que los psicólogos deberán afrontarse.

How to Survive and Thrive as a Therapist: Information, Ideas, and Resources for Psychologists in Practice “presents in a concise format information, ideas, and resources for the practicalities of practice” (p. xi). Kenneth S. Pope and Melba J. T. Vasquez, the authors, have recognized that the greatest difficulty in starting any task is to know how to begin. Whether starting a practice or changing an established practice requires knowing one's self and accepting circumstances and the therapist, as they exist today. Pope and Vasquez gently and successfully lead the readers through a series of questions to help therapists find a comfortable fit for their goals in the changing market for psychological services.

Much of the critical discussion of prescriptive authority for psychologists has focused on the question of whether this is the right direction for the profession. The authors contend that discourse on prescriptive authority should progress to identification of the challenges that lie ahead for psychology as a prescribing profession, with the goal of anticipating and addressing those challenges as early in the process as possible. The authors identify a number of such potential challenges, including both general issues of professional identity and more practical concerns. In some cases, the authors express their opinions on these matters, but more generally their intention is to spur reasoned discussion of the issues psychologists will face.

Prescriptive authority is not a back alley way to the practice of psychiatry, according to this survey of nurse psychologists. Only 5% of the 266 nurse psychologists with an option to pursue prescriptive authority as advanced nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists had availed themselves of this opportunity and were prescribing. Liability insurance premiums for advanced nurse practitioners who can prescribe a wide range of medications appear to be less costly than premiums for psychologists who cannot prescribe. Knowledge and management of medications for treatment of patients were already incorporated into the standards of practice of psychology for three quarters of the nurse psychologist practitioners responding to the survey.

Psychologists hate been involved in psychopharmacological research and practice since the 1950s, although this seems not to have been remembered. Biodyne data on 1.6 million mental episodes from 1988 to 1992 document psychologists' involvement in monitoring and managing psychopharmacological medications. A large percentage of patients presenting for mental treatment were already taking psychotropic drugs. Medication usage decreased dramatically as psychologists diagnosed their individual conditions and initiated psychotherapy in addition to monitoring and managing medication usage. Relevant training in psychopharmacology should be an integral part of training of psychologists providing health care.

The relationship between organized psychology and labor takes on renewed interest in the context of marketplace changes leading some health care providers to unionize. Although they were once distant, organized psychology and labor have moved closer together in recent years in collaborations around mutual interests. Labor unions have been able to offer psychology effective models of grass roots organization, some ability to engage in collective bargaining, and legislative and legal advocacy to curb marketplace abuses and to protect scope of practice. Psychologists have been able to offer labor unions clinical and consulting services to help union members deal with workplace stressors and injuries, pro bone services for striking or furloughed workers, and innovative programs to promote workplace safety. Increased collaboration between psychology and labor helps the American workforce, including psychologists.

As the profession of psychology has matured, serious interest has surfaced over the past decade in obtaining prescription privileges within the practitioner community Other nonphysician disciplines have exercised this clinical responsibility for years, significantly improving their ability to comprehensively serve current and new populations. Efforts are underway To develop appropriate and viable training modules. The primary objection expressed by medicine is once again that our practitioners will become ''public health hazards.'' Not surprisingly, resistance to change exists within psychology's training programs. However, the power to prescribe represents the authority to ensure that psychotropic medications are appropriately utilized, if used at all, and will ensure that psychology's practitioners can address society's pressing needs.

At present, nearly 70% of APA members are identified as health care providers. The PhD degree, a generic scholarly degree, is most commonly used to certify completion of doctoral studies in professional psychology. As a result, the consumer has difficulty determining which psychologist is qualified to provide health care. The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) should identify those psychologists who provide doctoral-level health services. Licensed, qualified PhD psychologists could be awarded the PsyD retroactively on the basis of a credential review, as the JD degree was awarded to lawyers previously holding the LLB. Applicants for the PsyD would not relinquish their PhD degrees. Upon review and approval, they would identify themselves with both degrees: PsyD, PhD. Mechanisms for accomplishing the change are suggested.