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Medication Management Q&A

What is medication management?

Medication management is a comprehensive mental health service that includes prescribing medications and scheduling follow-up checkups.

Regular checkups promote your health and wellness by giving your provider the opportunity to monitor your progress, adjust your medication and/or dosage if needed, and watch for possible side effects.

Does medication management include genetic testing?

Huron Street Wellness Center offers GeneSight® genetic testing. You choose if you want the testing based on your preferences and whether your insurance covers the cost.

GeneSight offers advantages for everyone needing medications because the tests reveal:

  • How your body metabolizes psychiatric medications
  • How your genetic makeup changes the effectiveness of medications
  • Which psychiatric medications have a high chance of causing side effects
  • Effect of smoking on the way your body metabolizes medications

Your provider must choose between many medications available for each mental health condition. With GeneSight testing, they have information that helps them prescribe the best medication and dosage for you without going through a trial-and-error process.

When would I need medication management? 

Psychiatric medicines effectively relieve the symptoms of many conditions, including:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Mood disorders
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Your Huron Street Wellness Center provider discusses the medications available for your mental health disorder and any associated risks. 

Though you decide whether to take the medication, they’re more essential for some mental health disorders. For example, you need medications to stop the mood swings caused by bipolar disorder.

What happens during medication management appointments?

During your first appointment, your Huron Street Wellness Center provider does a psychiatric diagnostic assessment to accurately identify your mental health disorder and determine the severity of your symptoms.

After your assessment, your provider may recommend medication management with or without psychotherapy. They may also suggest integrative therapies like therapeutic yoga, mindfulness meditation, or dietary changes.

If you decide you want medication, your provider sends your prescription directly to your pharmacy. Then they schedule your next medication and/or therapy appointment.

Your follow-up appointments typically take much less time than your initial consultation. At each appointment, your provider learns if your symptoms have improved and addresses your questions, concerns, or signs of side effects. Then they decide whether to refill the same prescription or change it.

To learn more about medication management, call Huron Street Wellness Center or request an appointment online today.