Eugene Landy and Brian's Medication

[The Heartical Don]

I was leafing though Peter Ames Carlin's biography, and suddenly thought of a question that I have for a long time: if I am right, the generally held belief is that Landy seriously and dangerously overmedicated Brian. And then: Landy was a psychologist, not a psychiatrist. In Holland psychologists are not allowed to prescribe psychotropic drugs at all ('psychologist' is not a protected title, as 'M.D.' is, that's how we call it).

Hence my question: is the situation different in the U.S.? Or did Landy simply instruct the M.D.'s in his team which drugs to prescribe? Or did dr. Susser (I believe that's how he was called) prescribe stuff as he saw fit? It's something that never was quite clear to me.

[pixletwin]

It's the same here in the US. Psychologists cannot prescribe medication.

I would also be interested in finding the answer to your question.

[donald]

In some US states, Doctoral level clinical psychologists have very limited prescribing priveleges.  Much like Nurse practitiioners.  But Landy was probably consulting with a physician and recommending meds to address certain issues.
I work in the field of psychology and this is quite common.  We see a patient as part of a team in a hospital or outpatient setting and the psychiatrist will make decisions based on input received from those professionals spending the most time with a patient.   Often the psychologist.  Some psychology practices will employ a physician (rather than vice versa) to provide medications needed in the course of treatment.

The important thing is that the physician is familiar with the patients MEDICAL history to avoid drug interactions, side effects, or something that would be dangerous to a patients preexisting condition.   For example, children or adults with irregular heartbeats or murmurs, often are unable to take stimulant medications for ADHD type disorders.  A real "Doctor" should always evaluate the health status of the patient about to be prescribed a new medication.
It would be dangerous, usually illegal,   and unethical for a psychologist to give medications on his/her own without a physician referral.

[The Heartical Don]

In some US states, Doctoral level clinical psychologists have very limited prescribing priveleges.  Much like Nurse practitiioners.  But Landy was probably consulting with a physician and recommending meds to address certain issues.
I work in the field of psychology and this is quite common.  We see a patient as part of a team in a hospital or outpatient setting and the psychiatrist will make decisions based on input received from those professionals spending the most time with a patient.   Often the psychologist.  Some psychology practices will employ a physician (rather than vice versa) to provide medications needed in the course of treatment.

The important thing is that the physician is familiar with the patients MEDICAL history to avoid drug interactions, side effects, or something that would be dangerous to a patients preexisting condition.   For example, children or adults with irregular heartbeats or murmurs, often are unable to take stimulant medications for ADHD type disorders.  A real "Doctor" should always evaluate the health status of the patient about to be prescribed a new medication.
It would be dangerous, usually illegal,   and unethical for a psychologist to give medications on his/her own without a physician referral.

That would explain things a bit, although Landy did not exactly prescribe in a 'very limited' way then... I seem to recall that he had two physicians at his side, named Susser and Samuels. Perhaps they were all too obedient to his bullying personality...

[filledeplage]

In some US states, Doctoral level clinical psychologists have very limited prescribing priveleges.  Much like Nurse practitiioners.  But Landy was probably consulting with a physician and recommending meds to address certain issues.
I work in the field of psychology and this is quite common.  We see a patient as part of a team in a hospital or outpatient setting and the psychiatrist will make decisions based on input received from those professionals spending the most time with a patient.   Often the psychologist.  Some psychology practices will employ a physician (rather than vice versa) to provide medications needed in the course of treatment.

The important thing is that the physician is familiar with the patients MEDICAL history to avoid drug interactions, side effects, or something that would be dangerous to a patients preexisting condition.   For example, children or adults with irregular heartbeats or murmurs, often are unable to take stimulant medications for ADHD type disorders.  A real "Doctor" should always evaluate the health status of the patient about to be prescribed a new medication.
It would be dangerous, usually illegal,   and unethical for a psychologist to give medications on his/her own without a physician referral.

Thanks for that post!  I had the same nagging question as "The Don" above...This whole prescribing area of medicine seems to be in a state of flux...whereby Physician's Assistant's seem to have a "limited prescribing power" and there are a lot of psychologists who  hold an academic "doctorate" and call themselves "Doctor" and who work in the medical field but who are not prescribing physicians, to whom the psychologist reports.  That is still the M.D. Thanks, again.  

[?]

In some US states, Doctoral level clinical psychologists have very limited prescribing priveleges.  Much like Nurse practitiioners.  But Landy was probably consulting with a physician and recommending meds to address certain issues.
I work in the field of psychology and this is quite common.  We see a patient as part of a team in a hospital or outpatient setting and the psychiatrist will make decisions based on input received from those professionals spending the most time with a patient.   Often the psychologist.  Some psychology practices will employ a physician (rather than vice versa) to provide medications needed in the course of treatment.

The important thing is that the physician is familiar with the patients MEDICAL history to avoid drug interactions, side effects, or something that would be dangerous to a patients preexisting condition.   For example, children or adults with irregular heartbeats or murmurs, often are unable to take stimulant medications for ADHD type disorders.  A real "Doctor" should always evaluate the health status of the patient about to be prescribed a new medication.
It would be dangerous, usually illegal,   and unethical for a psychologist to give medications on his/her own without a physician referral.

That would explain things a bit, although Landy did not exactly prescribe in a 'very limited' way then... I seem to recall that he had two physicians at his side, named Susser and Samuels. Perhaps they were all too obedient to his bullying personality...

It seems like there would have to be multiple MDs involved to get the quantity of prescriptions Landy was dishing out.  If there was only one or two I would think they would have got in some serious trouble when it all came crashing down.

[Peter Reum]

Bingo!!!

[donald]

I've mentioned it before, but Landy was well known and well published for his 24 Hour Therapy approach.  He was up there with with the top 30 or 40 approaches to psychotherapy in the 80's.  And it was limited, by its time committment to those who could afford that many hours of therapy.  More than one well to do person sought out his services.  And it was well grounded both cognitively and behaviorally.  But Landy, I think, got caught up in the world of celebrity (obviously) and committed gross ethical transgressions.  Like co-writing songs with his musical genius  patient.   There was another avenue for the therapist to recieve compensation for his services rather than through such things as royalty payments.  The ego took over and was Landy's downfall.  As some have said, Landy may have helped save Brian's life.   But at what cost to his client's artistic integrity?  And at what cost to his own reputation?