We are a professional, scientific association and, as such, we support professional activities, backed by empirically valid data, in which many of our members engage or wish to engage. The RxP legislative initiative can be seen as an empirically supported professional activity in which many members wish to engage. We do not only support professional activities in which there is unanimous agreement. Certainly, it has been noted, by Dr. Mary Kay Pribyl and others, that the legislative initiative to secure insurance reimbursement for psychologists in 1976 and the legislative initiative to license psychologists in 1981 were not unanimously supported by psychologists. In fact, throughout history, many of the most important scientific and professional advances have been made by individuals with whom some have disagreed. Adhering to the IPA Mission, the IPA supports evidence based science and practice in Illinois. (This is one reason why the APA and IPA have adopted “Keesey’s Rules of Order,” a paradigm of governance that balances the rights of many different opinions in professional organizations.)

Yes, using search engines like “Google” and “Bing” to learn about the history of an issue as well as the history of those advocating an opinion about an issue has become standard in this electronic communications era. Using the APA Website to research information, such as the APA training requirements and opportunities for a degree or certification in Clinical Psychopharmacology, is highly advised. Checking the IPA Website for postings of meetings, where the RxP issue, as well as other complex professional issues, may be discussed, is highly recommended.

Since the listserv is very public, we value it as a tool for encouraging civil and scientific debate. We do not make IPA policy on the listserv. Policy is made by the IPA governing structure that includes Area Code Representatives, Section Chairs, and IPA Executive Officers. IPA members are welcome to observe IPA Executive Committee and Council meetings (with at least 24 hours’ notice to the President) and may speak on an issue if requested of the President (and granted by the President) at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. We encourage all members to take the time to attend and participate in Section Meetings, Regional Meetings, educational and social IPA events, and, of course, our annual Convention. This follows the IPA (and APA) rules for meetings, IPA Bylaws, and Keesey’s Rules of Order, the rules of order adopted by both the IPA and the APA.

During the last five years of IPA Council Meetings, there have been several votes on RxP activities and all of these Council votes have included thorough discussions of this complex issue with consideration of minority and majority Council and member opinions. Each of these votes affirmed the IPA’s engagement in RxP lobbying activities. During the last year, as noted above, RxP votes had been taken at the January 2011, September 2011, and January 2012 meetings. At every one of these votes the RxP initiative had been confirmed nearly unanimously with at times one abstention. There were no negative votes.

The RxP Subcommittee of the IPA Legislative Committee was established in 1991 with the express purpose of pursuing prescriptive authority for psychologists with APA approved specialized training in clinical psychopharmacology. IPA first introduced a prescriptive authority bill in 1998 with state Senator Carol Ronen as our chief sponsor. This RxP initiative has been routinely discussed in association meetings or forums that are open to all members. Since 1991 prescription privileges for psychologists in Illinois has been discussed and designated as an active agenda item with the membership of IPA and publicly on numerous and regular occasions. IPA elected officers and section chairs have followed specific IPA policies regarding IPA activities on prescription privileges just as it follows these specific processes for other action items. The issue of prescription privileges has been regularly discussed at monthly Legislative Committee meetings. These meetings are open to any IPA member and the times and dates of these monthly open meetings are posted in every issue of the IPA quarterly Newsletter. Since 2006, the issue of prescription privileges has been the subject of at least one article in every newsletter except for 2 of the last 19 issues of the Illinois Psychologist and has been discussed at every Legislative Committee meeting in all but 2 Council meetings. We know that IPA Area Code Representatives have discussed RxP with their constituents in both formal and informal meetings. From January 2011 through the present, the RxP legislative initiative has been discussed at every Council meeting (January 22, 2011, April 16, 2011, June 18, 2011, September 17, 2011, and January 21, 2012). At the January 2011, the September 2011, and the January 2012 meetings votes had been taken on this initiative. At every one of these votes, the RxP initiative had been confirmed nearly unanimously with, at times one abstention or, at other times, two abstentions. There were no negative votes. Moreover, in every IPA Newsletter, an RxP Committee is shown as an official Committee of the Association.