On this day in 2014, Illinois became just the third state to enact prescriptive authority for psychologists. This episode of The Continuing Evolution and History of RxP features the inside story of its creation. Host Dr. George Kapalka sits down with Dr. Beth Rom-Rymer for an in-depth discussion of the decades-long effort to secure prescribing rights for psychologists in Illinois. The conversation traces Dr. Rom-Rymer’s professional journey—from victim advocacy and domestic violence work in Florida to her leadership within APA and the Illinois Psychological Association—and details legislative strategy, coalition-building, advocacy, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement. The episode also explores the ongoing expansion of prescribing authority in Illinois, the state’s distinctive training model, and the growing international momentum for psychologist prescribing in countries such as Canada and South Africa.

Host Dr. George Kapalka uses this episode of The Continuing Evolution and History of RxP to explore the history, structure, and impact of the Department of Defense Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project (PDP), a pioneering program that trained psychologists to prescribe medications within military settings. Featuring insights from program participants, Dr. Anita Brown and Dr. John Sexton, the discussion covers the program's development, training process, challenges, dissolution, and its lasting influence on the prescriptive psychology movement.

Dr. George Kapalka speaks with two central figures in the early development of psychopharmacology training for psychologists outside the military: Dr. Elaine LeVine and Dr. Stephen Berger. The conversation traces the origins and evolution of the Prescribing Psychologist Register (PPR), founded by Dr. Samuel Feldman, and examines how early certificate-based training programs laid the groundwork for today’s MSCP standard.

Dr. Berger recounts his path into RxP advocacy through professional politics in California, including the CAPP v. Rank case and APA task forces that helped shape early training guidelines. Dr. LeVine shares a detailed and personal account of how PPR training catalyzed her efforts to establish New Mexico’s first in-state psychopharmacology training program, ultimately supporting successful RxP legislation.

Together, the guests reflect on the tensions between certificate programs and degree-based training, the gradual standardization of APA guidelines from 120 to 450 hours, and the critical role of grassroots legislative advocacy. The episode highlights how early pioneers navigated uncertainty, institutional resistance, and political realities to advance RxP education—while emphasizing the importance of preserving psychologists’ professional identity as both therapists and prescribers.