Let’s Outsource Psychiatric Services to NPs
Much of what family medicine does is dealing with psychosocial issues. The reason we can’t “handle” all of it is that we don’t have enough time (DPC docs do, btw). The industrialized model doesn’t allow for the time needed to treat these issues so those docs tend to farm psychiatric care out. The problem is that any psychiatrists have no openings so these patients get seen by midlevels. Surprise, now these midlevels are opening their own businesses and you have to read this article to see it to believe it.
Newly minted PMHNP seeks board-certified psychiatrist to “pacify” Oklahoma regulators for 200 bucks a month
You have to give credit to Midlevel.wtf. I have followed them for a long time on Twitter and they are always on top of this kind of stuff. Their goal is “Exposing medical incompetence by midlevel providers such as NPs and PAs in the fight to ensure patient safety and preserve physician-led, physician-supervised medicine.” Love it.
Back to our story.
Midlevel.wtf finds out that this NP started their own company (Simply Calm) and is charging up to $699 a month for medication management and virtual therapy. His experience? None. He just got certified in his psych NP this year!! And all he needs is a psychiatrist to watch over him for a whopping $200 a month!!!
I don’t want to take this away from the author so read the whole thing and share.
Our state governor actually proposed giving pscyh NPs them unsupervised practice and full prescribing authority in our state. It is supposed provide “improved mental health access” (this in a state that won’t even expand Medicaid and has hospitals closing all over) which is supposed to keep people from shooting school children. The bill never made it into the legislative session but I’m sure they’ll be back.
Looks like a new low in a race to the bottom.