The prescriptive authority for psychologists (RxP) movement contends that psychologists who receive specialized training should attain licensure to prescribe psychotropic medication. The RxP movement has presently culminated in psychologists in the United States prescribing at both the state and federal levels. However, the RxP movement remains contentious, and both supporters and opponents continue to disagree over its validity as a professional movement. Division 17 of the American Psychological Association, the counseling psychology specialty’s professional organization, has not officially discussed the RxP movement since 1994. Given the developments within the RxP movement since then, this study endeavored to investigate the current perceptions of prescriptive authority among the Executive Board leadership of Division 17. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with current and former members of the Executive Board and then used a consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology to qualitatively generate findings across participants’ responses. Participants shared qualified support of prescriptive authority, despite indicating no interest in prescribing themselves, and they reported that they saw prescriptive practice as consistent with the professional identity of counseling psychology. Participants also suggested that Division 17 could proceed with the RxP movement by developing a Special Task Group (STG) to investigate prescriptive authority among its members. These conclusions indicate that members of the Executive Board are well positioned to lead Division 17 forward in addressing prescriptive authority by creating a STG to further explore the issue for counseling psychology.

Submitted in fulfillment of the Masters degree in Technology: Community Health Nursing, Durban University of Technology, 2013. / Background One of the major challenges for the Department of Health in South Africa today is inequity and the need to provide quality integrated health care for all its citizens. Primary Health Care (PHC) has been declared as the way to achieve this goal, through the District Health System. Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) and the Essential Medicines List (EML) have been developed and are used at PHC clinics and hospitals. This study explored the use of STGs and the EML by professional nurses at PHC clinics in the UMgungundlovu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods A quantitative descriptive research design was used. Questionnaires were used to collect data from respondents at the PHC clinics. A retrospective review of facility registers kept by the respondents on the rational use of drugs was also carried out by the researcher. Results The findings of the study revealed that the respondents had a good understanding of the use of the STGs and the EML. There was no evidence of polypharmacy, and medications were prescribed according to guidelines. Areas that were suboptimal were related to prescription writing in writing of schedules and routes of medication as indicated in facility records. The results further showed that training on the use of the STGs and EML were inadequate, which implies the need for strengthening of training programmes.

Aim To explore Mental Health Care Practitioners and a Mental Health Care Directors perceptions of mental health care nurses obtaining prescription authority in eThekwini District KwaZulu-Natal. Methodology A qualitative design was used to gather data through individual interviews and a focus group interview. Purposive sampling was used to select the study setting (five (5) Out Patient Departments, two (2) Community Health Centres, one (1) tertiary educational institution, and one district office), potential participants were not sampled. Participants included; twenty six mental health care nurses (n=26), one (1) psychiatrist (n=1), four (4) medical officers (n=4) and one (n=1) mental health care director. Thematic analysis using the steps outlined by Braun and Clark (2006) was used to analyse the data. Results The majority of participants were not aware of policies or legislation allowing nurses to prescribe medication. Participating mental health care nurses from an education setting were more knowledgeable than other participants about current legislation and policy. Study findings indicate that nurses’ obtaining prescriptive authority is not on the provincial department of health agenda. In addition, participating ppsychiatrists and medical officers expressed reservations about nurses obtaining prescriptive authority, specifically independent prescriptive authority. Participating mental health nurses displayed ambivalence related to the pursuit of prescriptive authority. Conclusion and Recommendations The challenge for mental health nurses is suggested to be the achievement of a collaborative working relationship within the discipline of nursing, and between the discipline of nursing and medicine / psychiatry. It is suggested mental health care directors, and the SANC, be proactive, look to the future in advising the health minister about access and barriers to mental health care treatment. In addition, the SANC champion the nurse, specifically the mental health care nurse in obtaining prescriptive authority for schedule 5-6 psychotropic medications. Further research is required to generate more in-depth data, specifically research that explores mental health care nurses’ reluctance to pursue prescriptive authority. / Thesis (M.N.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2014.

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