Explain the arguments for and against prescriptive licensing for psychologists

What will be an ideal response?

Argument for: There is a general shortage of psychiatrists especially in rural and low-income urban areas. People are then usually prescribed psychoactive drugs by a general practitioner and may be seeing a psychologist. There is often little communication between the two, so patients could be receiving incorrect treatment. General medical training covers very little about mental illness and clinical psychology training is extensive on mental illness but no background in medicine. If psychologists could undergo more training in medicine and prescription of medicine, they could be well equipped to give drug treatment to patients.
Argument against: Medical doctors fear that even with this training psychologists could still miss important medical considerations and, therefore, put a patient's health at risk. Some psychologists fear that this could turn the field of psychology into pill pushing and neglect the other treatment approaches.

Psychology

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