United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1997-04-01 monographic deposited born digital 33 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-97-83 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-83 P0b002ee18038693b f:he97083 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-83 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-83 HEHS-97-83 Health care personnel Drugs Human resources utilization Health services administration Human resources training Medical education Mental health care services Cost effectiveness analysis Military personnel DOD Military Health Services System DOD Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project Letter Report HEHS The Military Health Services System (MHSS) has more psychiatrists than it needs. As a result, GAO questions the military's plan to train psychologists to prescribe drugs for mental conditions, such as depression. MHSS needs no prescribing psychologists or any other additional mental health care providers authorized to prescribe psychotropic medications. Although the Defense Department (DOD) met its goal of training psychologists to prescribe drugs, it faced many difficulties in implementing the Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project. MHSS never had a clear vision of the prescribing psychologists' role, did not meet recruitment goals, and repeatedly changed the curriculum. The program's total cost is about $6.1 million, or $610,000 per prescribing psychologist. GAO cannot conclude that the benefits gained from training prescribing psychologists warrant the cost of the program. Training psychologists to prescribe drugs is not justified because MHSS has no demonstrated need for them, the cost is substantial, and the benefits unclear. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-83/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-83.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-83/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-83.pdf GAO/HEHS-97-83 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-83 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-97-83; Defense Health Care: Need for More Prescribing Psychologists Is Not Adequately Justified; Health care personnel Drugs Human resources utilization Health services administration Human resources training Medical education Mental health care services Cost effectiveness analysis Military personnel DOD Military Health Services System DOD Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project Public Law 100-463 Public Law 104-106