Medication management is the ongoing process of prescribing, adjusting and monitoring psychiatric medication so that it works as well as possible with as few side effects as possible. It begins with a thorough evaluation to establish the diagnosis and review your medical history, other medications, substance use and family history of response to particular drugs. Your provider then chooses a starting medication and dose, explains what to expect and when, and schedules a follow-up, usually within two to four weeks for a new prescription.
At follow-up visits, your provider checks symptom scales such as the PHQ-9 or GAD-7, asks about side effects, reviews adherence and considers dose changes. Antidepressants typically need four to six weeks at a therapeutic dose before their full effect is clear, and stimulants for ADHD are often adjusted week by week. Some medications require laboratory monitoring: lithium levels, kidney and thyroid function, metabolic labs with atypical antipsychotics, or blood counts with certain mood stabilizers. Once you are stable, visits usually stretch to every one to three months. Medication management also covers safe tapering when a medication is no longer needed and coordination with your other doctors. At Stedfast Psychiatry, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide medication management in person and by telehealth, and they refer to Deep TMS or Spravato when medication alone has not been enough.
Where this applies at Stedfast
- Psychiatric Medication Management
- Psychiatric Evaluation and Diagnosis
- Telepsychiatry in Florida and South Carolina