Medication Management, or Psychopharmacology, refers to the use of medication by a medical professional in treating mental health conditions. Although medications can play a role in improving most mental health conditions, we generally recommend it only when symptoms are moderate to severe or they have not improved with therapy alone. Some conditions may require the use of multiple medication and ongoing monitoring; in such cases, a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner (ARNP) should be involved.

In order to thoroughly understand your experience and obtain diagnostic clarification to guide treatment, your Medication Management at Spectrum begins with the Initial Psychiatric Evaluation with one of our Psychiatric ARNP. During this process, the provider will ask many questions about your symptoms, such as their frequency and severity, and the degrees of impact they exert on your daily functioning. Once the diagnoses are clarified, the provider will discuss their recommendations with you; if there is a role for psychopharmacology in your treatment, and only if appropriate, they will provide a prescription.

Please Note:

• We perform our own comprehensive evaluations for patients seeking Medication Management for ADHD/ADD, regardless of any past history of diagnosis or treatment. This may include routine urine toxicology screenings, interviewing of direct relatives for collateral, and requesting comprehensive medical records from previous healthcare providers.
• During the initiation and titration phases of the medication, we expect to see patients more frequently (every 1-2 weeks) in order to medically monitor for both benefits and any potential adverse effects.
• As a practice policy, we Do Not prescribe benzodiazepines or non-benzodiazepine hypnotics on a daily, long-term, or indefinite basis.
• Refills of any medication are provided at the end of each attended, regularly scheduled follow-up visit (typically once every 1-3 months, depending on each patient’s individual complexity and risk factors).
• Medication Management services at Spectrum are strictly clinical in purpose. As thus, our psychiatric prescribers Do Not provide such services as, but not limited to: court-mandated or employer-mandated evaluations, parenting or custody assessments, letters for gender-affirming surgeries, and paperwork for FMLA, L&I, or other legal-medical purposes.