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Third-year PharmD student Kahaan Shah is working with Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Phil Hughes on a mixed-methods study looking at the well-being of psychologists who prescribe medications.

Prescribing psychologists provide services to patients that traditional psychologists usually need to refer a patient to a psychiatrist for. This specialty field includes additional work stress, potentially leading to greater risk of patient harm and malpractice compared to traditional psychologists. However, an increased ability to provide care may also increase job satisfaction.

“The well-being of healthcare providers directly affects the quality of patient care,” Shah said. “Prescribing psychologists have a unique role that combines psychological care with medication management, and we still know relatively little about how those added responsibilities influence stress, burnout, and job satisfaction.”

To study this, the lab is collecting data from psychologists to understand how prescriptive authority affects their well-being. The findings will have implications for state policymakers, healthcare organizations, and educators, helping them better understand the benefits and challenges of expanding prescriptive authority for psychologists in 10 to 15 states.

“What excites me most is that this project has real-world implications,” Shah said. “The findings could influence future legislation and professional practice in states that are considering prescriptive authority for psychologists. It's rewarding to know that the research may contribute to decisions that affect both providers and patients.”

Shah added that, because of the study’s mixed-methods design, he’s had a unique perspective on every stage of the research process, which, in turn, has shown him how different professions can work together to address complex healthcare challenges.

Working directly with Hughes in an essentially one-on-one partnership was enlightening, Shah added, because of Hughes interdisciplinary background in pharmaceutical sciences, clinical psychology, and health. The pairing was also helpful to Hughes, who is one of SOPP’s newest faculty members.

“This project has been an exciting opportunity to mentor a student on the day-to-day experiences of doing research — literature reviews, IRB applications, and the like,” Hughes said. “It’s been a great opportunity to see what strong students we have here at Binghamton. The project itself is not unique to Binghamton (the psychologists are across the country), but the strong support for research from the University and SOPPS is really what made this project possible.”

With a long-term goal to become a clinical pharmacist who combines patient care with research, Shah also believes this research has helped him develop both technical and interpersonal skills that are essential for that career.

“This experience has shaped my perspective as a future clinical pharmacist. Working closely with Dr. Hughes has shown me that research isn't just about collecting data; it's about asking meaningful questions that can improve healthcare policy and ultimately patient care,” Shah said. “Because we worked on every aspect of the project together, I gained a much deeper appreciation for interdisciplinary collaboration and how research can create real-world change. That's something I'll carry with me throughout my career.”