S.B. 314 Summary

• Authorizes the Director of Rehabilitation and Correction to implement a program to improve prisoners' access to psychotropic drugs in state correctional institutions through licensed health professionals including physicians, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse practitioners, and licensed psychologists.

• Creates a new certificate to prescribe psychotropic drugs that the State Board of Psychology can issue to licensed psychologists who meet specific education and training requirements, including a postdoctoral master's degree in psychopharmacology and passage of the psychopharmacology examination.

• Limits the certificate to prescribe psychotropic drugs to no more than six licensed psychologists at any one time, and restricts their prescribing authority to prisoners confined in state correctional institutions as part of the designated program.

• Authorizes the Director of Rehabilitation and Correction to implement a program allowing medical and behavioral health care professionals to provide consultation and treatment services to prisoners through telecommunication methods, provided a physician or qualified professional has met with the prisoner at least once in person.

• Makes conforming amendments to drug abuse offense statutes (Chapters 2925, 3719, 4729, and 4732) to recognize prescribing authority under the new prisoner health care programs and allow licensed psychologists to prescribe psychotropic drugs within their authorized scope.