RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS.

Removed the restriction limiting the program to Kauai County and federally qualified health centers only.

Removed the age restriction, allowing psychologists to treat patients of all ages rather than just those between 18 and 65.

Removed the sunset date, making the prescriptive authority permanent instead of a three-year pilot ending in 2031.

Added a mandatory two-year supervised training program with specific clinical hours and board exams as a prerequisite for obtaining a prescription certificate.

Changed the supervising authority from a psychiatrist to a licensed physician or psychiatrist who accepts professional responsibility for the psychologist's prescribing.

Added new definitions for 'psychologist certified to prescribe' and 'supervising physician' to clarify the roles and responsibilities.

Added specific rules prohibiting psychologists from handling or distributing narcotic drug samples.

Added Wilcox Medical Center and Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital as eligible sites for the pilot program.

Narrowed the definition of 'psychotropic medication' to include only selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

Required employers to report adverse events, patient outcomes, and escalation protocols to the State Health Planning and Development Agency.

Changed the effective date to July 1, 3000, while maintaining the sunset date of June 30, 2031.

Clarified that prescriptions under the pilot program are eligible for Medicaid reimbursement to the same extent as those prescribed by a psychiatrist.

The pilot program was restricted to federally qualified health centers in the County of Kauai only, removing eligibility for locations in the County of Hawaii.

The requirement for supervision was changed from a 'supervising physician or psychiatrist' to specifically require a 'supervising psychiatrist'.

The program start date was set to July 1, 2028, and the sunset date was fixed to June 30, 2031.

New definitions were added to exclude Schedule II through V controlled substances and any off-label use of agents from the scope of 'psychotropic medication'.

Eligibility criteria were tightened to require completion of an APA-designated education and training program in clinical psychopharmacology, replacing the previous requirement for specialized training approved by the APA and the board.

Changed from a permanent statewide law to a three-year pilot program limited to Kauai and Hawaii counties.

Added a patient age restriction, limiting prescriptions to individuals between 18 and 65 years old.

Added a requirement that psychologists must be supervised by a physician or psychiatrist while prescribing.

Added a requirement for the State Health Planning and Development Agency to submit a report to the legislature by 2029 to evaluate the pilot program.

Removed the permanent definition of 'psychologist certified to prescribe' and replaced it with a temporary definition specific to the pilot program.

Updated the definition of 'practitioner' to include licensed midwives and remove the reference to psychologists under the old permanent rules.