HB 23-1071

House Bill 23-1071, which has been approved and will take effect on August 7, 2023, allows licensed psychologists in Colorado to prescribe psychotropic medications after completing specific training and obtaining a prescription certificate from the state board. This applies to psychologists who meet educational requirements, pass an exam, gain relevant clinical experience, and maintain malpractice insurance. The bill ensures that these prescribing psychologists collaborate with medical providers for patients' overall health care and requires them to disclose they are not physicians to their patients. It affects licensed psychologists seeking expanded roles in patient treatment and aims to improve access to mental health services by allowing more professionals to prescribe necessary medications.

Official Summary

The act requires 1 of the 7 members of the state board of psychologist examiners (board) to be a prescribing psychologist. The act allows a licensed psychologist to prescribe and administer psychotropic medications if the licensed psychologist holds a prescription certificate issued by the board. A licensed psychologist may apply to the board for a prescription certificate and must include in the application satisfactory evidence that the applicant: Has completed a doctoral program in psychology; Has completed a master of science in a clinical psychopharmacological program with specified areas of core instruction; Has passed the psychopharmacology examination for psychologists; Has completed a supervised and relevant clinical experience approved by the board; Has successfully undergone a process of independent peer review; and Maintains the required malpractice insurance. A licensed psychologist with a prescription certificate (prescribing psychologist) is authorized to prescribe and administer psychotropic medications if the prescribing psychologist: Maintains the required malpractice insurance; Completes at least 40 hours of continuing education every 2 years; and Maintains a collaborative relationship with the health-care provider who oversees the client's general medical care. The board is authorized to promulgate rules to: Implement procedures for obtaining a prescription certificate; and Establish grounds for denial, suspension, and revocation of the certificates. The Colorado medical board is required to review complaints regarding violations of the act and make recommendations to the board regarding disciplinary action. The act requires a prescribing psychologist to disclose to each patient that the psychologist is not a licensed physician. The act requires a prescribing psychologist to file with the board all individual federal drug enforcement administration registrations and numbers. The board and the Colorado medical board are required to maintain current records of every psychologist with prescriptive authority, including registrations and numbers. The department of regulatory agencies (department) is required to annually collect information regarding prescribing psychologists, to compile the information, and to share the information with the office in the department responsible for conducting sunset reviews for inclusion in each scheduled sunset review concerning the regulation of mental health professionals. APPROVED by Governor March 3, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Votes