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Read. Follow. Verify.Maryland Senate Bill 568 Authorizes Certified Psychologists to Prescribe Medication
Last action · February 12, 2026: Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m.Sponsor: Arthur Ellis
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What This Bill Would Do
Maryland Senate Bill 568 authorizes licensed psychologists certified by the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists to prescribe medications and s for mental and behavioral health conditions, starting October 1, 2026. Certified prescribing psychologists must meet specific educational and fellowship requirements, coordinate patient care with licensed medical providers, and report prescriptions to the . The measure also establishes a five-member Advisory Committee to advise the Board on oversight and implementation.
Expands the types of licensed health care professionals permitted to issue prescriptions in Maryland, affecting mental health treatment delivery and patient coordination between psychologists and medical providers.
- The State Board of Examiners of Psychologists licenses and regulates psychologists in Maryland under the Health Occupations Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. context
- State Board context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Licensed psychologists
Licensed psychologists may obtain certification to use prescriptive authority after meeting specific educational, fellowship, and examination requirements.
Patients
Patients receiving psychological services may receive prescriptions, laboratory tests, and diagnostic examinations directly from certified prescribing psychologists.
State Board of Examiners of Psychologists
The Board is responsible for certifying prescribing psychologists, establishing joint renewal policies, maintaining practitioner records, and adopting oversight regulations.
State Board of Physicians
The Board appoints a physician member to the Advisory Committee and receives notification of psychologist certifications and disciplinary actions.
State Board of Pharmacy
The Board appoints a pharmacist member to the Advisory Committee and receives notification of psychologist certifications and disciplinary actions.
Key Facts
- Licensed psychologists certified by the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists are authorized to use prescriptive authority for psychiatric, mental, cognitive, and behavioral health disorders.
- An applicant for certification as a prescribing psychologist must hold a doctoral degree in psychology, complete an approved educational program and a postdoctoral prescribing psychology fellowship of at least 400 hours with at least 100 diverse patients, and pass a national psychopharmacology examination.
- Graduates of the U.S. Department of Defense Psychopharmacology Demonstration Program are exempt from the Board certification requirement.
- A Prescriptive Authority Advisory Committee is established, consisting of three psychologists on the Board, one physician appointed by the State Board of Physicians, and one pharmacist appointed by the State Board of Pharmacy, with 3-year terms.
Show all 9 facts
- Prescribing psychologists must coordinate with the patient's licensed medical provider, encourage patients to maintain a relationship with a medical provider, and document prescriptions in patient records.
- Prescribing psychologists must report prescriptions to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and file U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Maryland State Controlled Dangerous Substance registration numbers with the Board before prescribing controlled substances.
- At least 20 hours of continuing education required for a prescribing psychologist's license renewal must be relevant to prescriptive authority.
- The Board must promptly transmit prescribing psychologist certification and registration records to the State Board of Physicians and the State Board of Pharmacy.
- The Act takes effect October 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifications must a psychologist meet to obtain prescriptive authority in Maryland?
Do psychologists who completed the U.S. Department of Defense Psychopharmacology Demonstration Program need Board certification?
What are the ongoing coordination and reporting requirements for prescribing psychologists?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 12, 2026SenateHearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m.
- Feb 4, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst Reading Finance
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Prescriptive Authority to Psychologists
Maryland law is amended to include licensed psychologists with prescriptive authority in the definition of authorized prescribers, marking a regulatory shift in health occupations.
Connected Entities
Sources
mgaleg.maryland.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
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