Colorado PSYRX Requirements & Hours Tracker

Colorado regulates prescribing psychologists through the State Board of Psychologist Examiners, which issues a separate “prescription certificate” (often shown as the PSYRX license type) to already‑licensed psychologists under C.R.S. § 12‑245‑309 and Board Rule 3 CCR 721‑1.24. (law.justia.com)

Below is a step‑by‑step outline of what is required, with emphasis on the specific hours and the Board’s own wording where it matters.

---

1. Baseline: Become a Colorado‑licensed psychologist (PSY)

You must first qualify for a regular psychologist license in Colorado. The Board’s rules in 3 CCR 721‑1.14 spell out the education and hour requirements. (regulations.justia.com)

1.1 Doctoral education, practicum, and internship

For licensure by examination, your doctoral program must be APA‑accredited or equivalent and include practicum and internship meeting minimum hour requirements: (regulations.justia.com)

• Practicum

  • Minimum 400 hours of practicum.
  • Of these, at least 150 hours must be “direct service experience” and **at least seventy‑five hours in formally scheduled supervision.” (regulations.justia.com)

• Doctoral internship

  • Internship must “encompass at least 1,500 experience hours” in an acceptable full‑time or half‑time structure (e.g., one full‑time year or two half‑time years), with additional conditions differing slightly by specialty (clinical vs. school/counseling). (regulations.justia.com)

1.2 Post‑doctoral supervised practice

After the doctorate, Colorado requires a year of supervised post‑doctoral practice:

• Post‑doctoral experience hours

  • “The one year of post‑doctoral experience practicing psychology under supervision required … must have at least 1,500 clock hours obtained in such a manner that they are reasonably uniformly distributed over a minimum of twelve months.” (regulations.justia.com)

• Post‑doctoral supervision hours

  • “Applicants must receive a minimum of seventy‑five clock hours of supervision, at least fifty of which must be face‑to‑face individual supervision. The remaining hours up to the seventy‑five hours may only be by group supervision.” (regulations.justia.com)

These hours are all under supervision; Colorado does not split them into “direct” vs. “indirect” post‑doc categories, but it does fix both the total experience (1,500 clock hours) and the total supervision (75 clock hours).

---

2. Additional education for prescriptive authority (clinical psychopharmacology)

Once you are (or will be) licensed as a psychologist, you must complete specialized training in clinical psychopharmacology specified in statute:

• The psychologist must have:
  • Completed a doctoral program in psychology from an approved school, and (law.justia.com)
  • “Successfully completed a master of science in a clinical psychopharmacology program … that consists of didactic instruction of at least four hundred fifty classroom hours in” the following core areas:
    • Neuroscience
    • Pharmacology
    • Psychopharmacology
    • Physiology
    • Pathophysiology
    • Appropriate and relevant physical and laboratory assessment
    • Clinical pharmacotherapeutics
    • Basic sciences (general biology, microbiology, cell and molecular biology, human anatomy, human physiology, biochemistry, genetics). (law.justia.com)

Those “at least four hundred fifty classroom hours” are classroom/didactic hours, not clinical hours, but they are a hard numerical requirement for prescriptive authority.

---

3. Required examination in psychopharmacology

You must pass the national psychopharmacology exam:

• Statute requires that the psychologist “has passed the psychopharmacology examination for psychologists developed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards” (PEP exam, or its successor). (law.justia.com)

This exam is separate from the standard EPPP used for psychologist licensure.

---

4. Supervised clinical prescribing experience (the prescriptive practicum hours)

Colorado’s law is very specific about the supervised prescribing‑focused experience required for a prescription certificate. This is in addition to your general post‑doc hours.

Under C.R.S. § 12‑245‑309(2)(a)(IV), the Board requires a “supervised and relevant clinical experience” that: (law.justia.com)

1. Is completed in not less than twelve months but no more than twenty‑four months; (law.justia.com)
2. Is approved by both the Psychology Board and the Colorado Medical Board; and
3. Consists of all of the following hour‑based elements:

4.1 Core supervised practicum: 750 hours / 150 clients

The statute requires:

• “A one‑to‑one, in‑person supervised practicum, of at least seven hundred fifty hours treating at least one hundred fifty clients with mental health disorders” under supervision of one or more appropriately trained, independently licensed prescribing physicians approved as competent to train you. (law.justia.com)

The Division of Professions and Occupations’ prescriptive‑authority guidance mirrors this and instructs applicants to submit:

• “Certification of Supervised Experience form(s) documenting a total of 750 hours of supervised experience completed in no less than 12 months but no more than 24 months.” (dpo.colorado.gov)

4.2 Embedded observational/assessment hours: 80 hours

Within those 750 hours, the law carves out a specific block:

• “Included in the seven hundred fifty hours … at least an eighty‑hour practicum in observational clinical assessment and pathophysiology under the supervision of an independently licensed prescribing physician.” (law.justia.com)

This 80‑hour component is part of (not additional to) the 750 hours.

4.3 Pediatric/geriatric prescribing hours: 250 hours (if applicable)

If you intend to work with children or older adults:

• “If the licensed psychologist is working with patients under eighteen years of age or over sixty‑five years of age, at least two hundred fifty of the seven hundred fifty hours … under the supervision of one or more independently licensed prescribing physicians who work with” those age groups. (law.justia.com)

In practice, this means:

• If you will prescribe for minors and/or older adults, 250 of your 750 supervised practicum hours must be with those populations under appropriate physician supervision.
• If you will not work with those ages, that specific 250‑hour distribution is not required, but you still must complete the full 750 hours.

4.4 Documentation of hours: Certification of Supervised Experience

The Board requires formal documentation of this supervised prescribing experience:

• The DPO psychology applications page lists a form titled “Prescribing Psychologist Authority – Certification of Supervised Experience” used to document these 750 hours. (dpo.colorado.gov)

The prescriptive‑authority table reiterates that this form must show 750 hours within 12–24 months, including the 250 hours with under‑18 or over‑65 clients if applicable. (dpo.colorado.gov)

---

5. Independent peer review requirement

Colorado also requires an independent peer review of your prescribing work, based on the same supervised period:

• Statute requires that the applicant “has successfully undergone a process of independent peer review as set forth in rule of the board and approved by the Colorado medical board.” (law.justia.com)

Board Rule 3 CCR 721‑1.24 expands this: (regulations.justia.com)

• You must:
  • Complete a peer review within 60 days using a panel of three members drawn from at least two of these groups:
    • Prescribing psychologists or psychologists with specialized psychopharmacology training,
    • Licensed psychiatrists/other physicians/nurse practitioners/physician assistants with psychopharmacology training,
    • Doctoral‑level licensed pharmacists or pharmacist‑clinicians with psychopharmacology training.
  • Each panel member must review at least 10 randomly selected charts from patients you treated during the supervised prescribing period.
  • Review focuses on documentation quality (history, diagnosis, risk factors, labs, informed consent, dosing, treatment plan, collaboration with primary physician, etc.).
  • The panel completes a Board‑approved evaluation form certifying whether your charts are satisfactory.

The DPO applications page provides a “Prescribing Psychologist Authority – Peer Review Form,” and DPO’s prescriptive‑authority guidance states that you must upload Peer Review forms from at least 3 different reviewers. (dpo.colorado.gov)

---

6. Insurance and other non‑hour requirements

Before the Board will issue the prescription certificate, you must also meet non‑hour requirements set in statute and rule:

• Active, unrestricted Colorado psychologist license

  • Rule 3 CCR 721‑1.24(A)(1)(a) requires that the applicant “holds an active and unrestricted license to practice psychology in Colorado.” (regulations.justia.com)

• Professional liability insurance

  • Statute requires you to “maintain commercial professional liability insurance” with minimum coverage of $1,000,000 per incident and $3,000,000 annual aggregate, from an authorized or eligible insurer. (law.justia.com)
  • Rule 3 CCR 721‑1.24(A)(1)(b) requires you to attest to having this insurance. (regulations.justia.com)

• Good standing & character

  • You must meet any other requirements the Board determines (C.R.S. 12‑245‑309(2)(a)(VII)) and satisfy general licensing standards (e.g., criminal background, no disqualifying discipline). (law.justia.com)

---

7. Application to the Board for PSYRX (prescription certificate)

When you’ve completed all the above:

• The Board’s rules say an applicant “shall submit a complete application on a form approved by the Board” and must demonstrate:

  • An active Colorado psychologist license,
  • Required professional liability insurance,
  • Successful completion of all educational, examination, supervision, and practice requirements in C.R.S. 12‑245‑309. (regulations.justia.com)

• On the DPO Psychology Applications page, prescriptive authority is listed under:

  • “Prescribing Psychologist Authority – Initial License by Original Method”
  • Along with the downloadable Certification of Supervised Experience and Peer Review Form needed to document the 750 hours and peer review. (dpo.colorado.gov)

You apply and submit documentation through DPO Online Services or by mailing the forms as directed on the current application.

---

8. Ongoing obligations once you hold PSYRX

Once the Board issues your prescription certificate (PSYRX), you must continue to meet certain conditions to keep prescribing:

• Continuing education in pharmacology/psychopharmacology

  • A prescribing psychologist must “complete at least forty hours of continuing education every two years in the areas of pharmacology and psychopharmacology for prescribing psychologists or a greater amount as required by the board.” (law.justia.com)
  • Separate Board CE guidance for Colorado psychologists notes that psychologists, including PSY and PSYRX, accrue at least 40 professional development hours per 2‑year renewal; for PSYRX, the 40 hours specifically in pharmacology/psychopharmacology are mandated by statute. (addictioncounselorce.com)

• Maintain malpractice insurance

  • You must maintain the same minimum insurance coverage continuously (1M/incident, 3M aggregate). (law.justia.com)

• Collaborative medical care and prescriptive practices

  • You must maintain “an ongoing collaborative relationship with the physician who oversees the patient's general medical care,” communicate before initiating or changing psychotropic medication, and obtain electronic written agreement from the primary treating physician before initial prescribing. (law.justia.com)
  • Additional rules in 3 CCR 721‑1.24 spell out how often written agreement is needed for different age groups and how telemedicine prescribing is handled. (regulations.justia.com)

• DEA registration

  • Each prescribing psychologist must file all DEA registrations and numbers with the Board, which, together with the Medical Board, maintains records of every psychologist with prescriptive authority. (law.justia.com)

• Disclosure to patients

  • You must give each patient a written disclosure stating that you are not a physician licensed to practice medicine and that you will share prescribing‑related information with the patient’s primary health‑care provider; this must be signed by the patient and kept in the record. (law.justia.com)

---

9. Hour requirements at a glance

Bringing the key numeric requirements together (Board/statutory language summarized):

Stage / Component	Hours Required	Type of Hours / Key Board Wording
Doctoral practicum	400 total hours	At least 150 hours direct service and 75 hours in “formally scheduled supervision.” (regulations.justia.com)
Doctoral internship	1,500 experience hours	Full‑time or approved half‑time internship totaling “at least 1,500 experience hours.” (regulations.justia.com)
Post‑doc practice (general psychology license)	1,500 clock hours	“One year of post‑doctoral experience … must have at least 1,500 clock hours” over ≥12 months, under approved supervision. (regulations.justia.com)
Post‑doc supervision	75 clock hours	Minimum 75 hours of supervision, at least 50 face‑to‑face individual; remaining may be group. (regulations.justia.com)
MS in Clinical Psychopharmacology didactic instruction	≥450 classroom hours	“Didactic instruction of at least four hundred fifty classroom hours” in specified neuroscience/pharmacology/psychopharm and related areas. (law.justia.com)
Prescribing practicum – core supervised experience	750 hours	“One‑to‑one, in‑person supervised practicum, of at least seven hundred fifty hours treating at least one hundred fifty clients” with mental health disorders, within 12–24 months. (law.justia.com)
Clients during prescribing practicum	≥150 clients	At least 150 clients treated with mental health disorders as part of the 750‑hour practicum. (law.justia.com)
Embedded observational/assessment practicum	80 hours	“At least an eighty‑hour practicum in observational clinical assessment and pathophysiology” included within the 750 hours. (law.justia.com)
Pediatric/geriatric prescribing experience (if you treat those ages)	250 hours of the 750	At least 250 of the 750 hours with patients <18 or >65, under supervising physicians who work with those age groups. (law.justia.com)
Continuing education once PSYRX is obtained	40 hours / 2 years	“At least forty hours of continuing education every two years in the areas of pharmacology and psychopharmacology for prescribing psychologists.” (law.justia.com)

Together, these requirements—general psychologist training (including 1,500 post‑doctoral hours and 75 supervision hours) plus the MSCP didactic training and the 750‑hour supervised prescribing practicum—define the pathway the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners uses to grant the PSYRX Prescribing Psychologist authority.