Psychiatric Medication
Management
Get Expert Support When Managing Medicine
Deciding whether to start or continue psychiatric medications can be difficult. Medications are an important part of effective treatment for many mental health conditions. At DiscoveryMD, we approach psychopharmacology (or medication management) by respecting your needs and acknowledging the complexity of this intervention as it pertains to you as an individual.
What to Expect at Your Medication Management Appointments
What is critical to understand is that effective psychopharmacology takes time. A detailed history and ongoing discussion of your response to medications is essential to providing excellent care. By spending the time to get to know you as an individual, we can tailor the selection of medications and the dose to your specific needs. We can better understand how your current life stressors or other medical conditions may affect your medication response. There is enough time to discuss any concerns you may have about each medication, including side effects.
When starting or adjusting medications, we request that you return frequently to be sure that the treatments are effective. We will weigh you regularly and may check your blood pressure or request additional laboratory tests to monitor your reaction to medications. We will also ask you to complete symptom questionnaires before every appointment. This gives us another source of information to track your personalized response to treatment.
Coordinated Care & Medication Management
Most people who benefit from psychiatric medications do best when the medication management is combined with psychotherapy. If you are already participating in psychotherapy with another provider or need an intensity of psychotherapy that we do not offer, we can coordinate with the other providers in the community.
Insurance & Medication Management
At DiscoveryMD, we are passionate about providing easy, affordable access to care. While many private practice psychiatrists do not participate in insurance programs, we do. DiscoveryMD is in-network with most major insurance plans, oftentimes saving our patients hundreds of dollars. We do our very best to avoid lengthy wait lists. We understand the urgency of your needs and our goal is to get you the relief you deserve as quickly as possible.
Personalized Medication Management Treatment Plan
Medications are selected carefully and we adhere to the latest scientific evidence in each recommendation. We are especially cautious about prescribing controlled substances. These powerful medications can be safely and ethically managed only in the context of ongoing treatment.
Your prescriber will work with you to determine a follow-up schedule that best meets your needs. Most psychiatric conditions tend to fluctuate over time. It is better to have a scheduled appointment that can detect any changes early than to wait until a crisis arises. For ongoing care, we recommend that you return at least once every three months, although for some patients more frequent visits are ideal.