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About Division 55

The Society for Prescribing Psychology

The Society for Prescribing Psychology, Division 55 of the American Psychological Association, was created to enhance psychological treatments combined with psychopharmacological medications.

  • The division promotes the public interest by working for the establishment of high quality statutory and regulatory standards for psychological care.
  • Division 55 encourages the collaborative practice of psychological and pharmacological treatments with other health professions.
  • The division seeks funding for training in psychopharmacology and pharmacotherapy from private and public sources such as federal Graduate Medical Education programs.
  • Division 55 facilitates increased access to improved mental health services in federal and state demonstration projects using psychologists trained in psychopharmacology.

Specialty of Clinical Psychopharmacology: Clinical psychopharmacology is a professionally recognized specialty field within clinical psychology dedicated to the study and therapeutic use of psychotropic medication, in addition to traditional psychological interventions, for the treatment of mental disorders and promotion of overall patient health and well-being. 

Last updated: September 2026Date created: 2015