Bill > SB5112

This bill establishes a new certification for prescribing psychologists in Washington state, allowing licensed psychologists to obtain additional credentials to prescribe certain psychotropic medications under specific conditions. The bill addresses the mental health workforce shortage by creating a pathway for qualified psychologists to prescribe medications after completing extensive additional training. To become a certified prescribing psychologist, an applicant must hold a current psychology license, have a doctorate degree, complete a master's degree in clinical psychopharmacology, undergo 80 hours of supervised physical assessment training, complete a 500-hour clinical prescribing fellowship with at least 100 individual patients, and pass a nationally recognized competency examination. The prescriptive authority is limited to psychotropic medications for psychiatric, mental, cognitive, nervous, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorders, and comes with important restrictions: prescribing psychologists must maintain a collaborative relationship with a healthcare provider, cannot prescribe opioids (except for opioid use disorder treatment), cannot prescribe antipsychotics or mood stabilizers, and are restricted to prescribing only for patients between the ages of 25 and 65. The bill aims to increase access to mental health treatment by expanding the types of healthcare professionals who can provide medication management while maintaining strict educational and practice standards to ensure patient safety.

Health and Social Services

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5112&Year=2025&Initiative=false