Medication Management

Consider medication management if you take several prescription drugs to help treat a mental health disorder, like anxiety or adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). At Advanced Psychiatric Care, P.A. in Neptune, New Jersey, adult psychiatrist Alexander Iofin, MD, uses medication management to reduce uncomfortable psychiatric symptoms in adults, improving their quality of life. Call the office to request medication management or request an appointment online today. Telemedicine appointments are also available

What is medication management?

Medication management, or psychopharmacology, treats mental health disorders with prescription drugs. Certain conditions, like chronic depression and anxiety, require multiple psychiatric medications or drugs that require monitoring. 

Medication management can reduce the risk of potential side effects, improve your quality of life, and assess your health and outlook over time if you take multiple psychiatric drugs.

How do I know if I need medicine for a mental health condition?

Only a qualified mental health professional, like Dr. Iofin, can prescribe medication for mental health conditions. 

Before making treatment recommendations, he reviews your health charts and completes a physical exam and a psychiatric evaluation. During the evaluation, Dr. Iofin asks questions about your feelings, thoughts, and behavior. He then compares that information with different criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

If you have a mental health disorder, like anxiety or adult attention-deficit disorder (ADD), and your symptoms don’t improve with healthy lifestyle changes and counseling, Dr. Iofin prescribes medication.

What types of drugs are used in medication management?

Dr. Iofin offers medication management for various psychiatric drugs, including:

• Antidepressants
• Benzodiazepines (drugs for severe anxiety and/or insomnia)
• Stimulants (drugs designed to treat adult ADD and adult ADHD)
• Mood stabilizers (drugs that treat bipolar disorder and depression)
• Antipsychotics (drugs that treat schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder)

Depending on your diagnosis and behavioral health history, you may need to take several classes of drugs.

How long will I need to participate in medication management?

The time you need to participate in medication management depends on your mental health, the severity of your symptoms, and their effect on your daily life. 

If you have an anxiety disorder, a combination of medication management, regular exercise, and counseling may help relieve your symptoms. Eventually, when you’ve learned adequate coping skills, you might even be able to stop taking medication altogether.

If you have chronic depression or adult ADD, you may need to enroll in medication management. Dr. Iofin regularly monitors your health and outlook throughout treatment. Monitoring through regular visits is an important part of medication management to evaluate if medication is providing beneficial outcomes and if any dosing changes are necessary for optimal health, ensuring lasting and positive treatment outcomes. 

Call Advance Psychiatric Care, to see if you can benefit from medication management or request an appointment online today.