CA Bus & Prof Code Section 2914.3

(a)

The board shall encourage institutions that offer a doctorate degree program in psychology to include in their biobehavioral curriculum, education and training in psychopharmacology and related topics including pharmacology and clinical pharmacology.

(b)

The board shall develop guidelines for the basic education and training of psychologists whose practices include patients with medical conditions and patients with mental and emotional disorders, who may require psychopharmacological treatment and whose management may require collaboration with physicians and other licensed prescribers. In developing these guidelines for training, the board shall consider, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1)

The American Psychological Association’s guidelines for training in the biological bases of mental and emotional disorders.

(2)

The necessary educational foundation for understanding the biochemical and physiological bases for mental disorders.

(3)

Evaluation of the response to psychotropic compounds, including the effects and side effects.

(4)

Competent basic practical and theoretical knowledge of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and neurophysiology relevant to research and clinical practice.

(5)

Knowledge of the biological bases of psychopharmacology.

(6)

The locus of action of psychoactive substances and mechanisms by which these substances affect brain function and other systems of the body.

(7)

Knowledge of the psychopharmacology of classes of drugs commonly used to treat mental disorders.

(8)

Drugs that are commonly abused that may or may not have therapeutic uses.

(9)

Education of patients and significant support persons in the risks, benefits, and treatment alternatives to medication.

(10)

Appropriate collaboration or consultation with physicians or other prescribers to include the assessment of the need for additional treatment that may include medication or other medical evaluation and treatment and the patient’s mental capacity to consent to additional treatment to enhance both the physical and the mental status of the persons being treated.

(11)

Knowledge of signs that warrant consideration for referral to a physician.

(c)

This section is intended to provide for training of clinical psychologists to improve the ability of clinical psychologists to collaborate with physicians. It is not intended to provide for training psychologists to prescribe medication. Nothing in this section is intended to expand the scope of licensure of psychologists.