Rep. Robyn Gabel – Vote NO on SB 2187

As your constituent, I urge you to Vote NO on SB 2187, because it allows individuals without medical training to prescribe medication and puts patients at risk.

Unsafe for Patients

As a practicing psychiatrist, I’ve taken years of premed courses, medical school and residency so I can safely prescribe medication. Similarly, nurses and physician assistants have extensive biomedical training so they, too, can prescribe. If psychologists want to prescribe psychiatric drugs, they should get biomedical training, instead of creating education shortcuts that jeopardize patient safety. They are trying to become Doctors through legislation rather than appropriate training.

Will NOT Expand Access

Not only is SB 2187 unsafe, it’s unnecessary. It will not expand access to mental healthcare in Illinois because few psychologists practice in rural and underserved areas. There is no provision in the bill that calls for telepsychiatry, treatment through telecommunications used for years to treat veterans. There is no program to cross-train psychologists in accredited medical schools. In short, SB 2187 diminishes the quality of mental healthcare in Illinois in its supposed attempts to expand it.

Vote NO on SB 2187

SB 2187 will put patients at risk and will not improve access to mental healthcare in Illinois. I urge you Rep. Gabel to put the interests of mental health patients and their families first – before the agendas of professional groups.