best platform for managing psych meds virtually
April 16, 2022 7:32 AM Subscribe
Please share your insights into online psych meds management apps, sites, subscriptions, etc. This is for an uninsured U.S. adult currently on an antidepressant who will be paying cash.
An adult family member needs ongoing meds management and psych support, and the administrative nightmare that is our mental health system (U.S., Virginia) has resulted in gaps, withdrawals, added trauma, lost jobs, etc. It's only an antidepressant but it is a never-ending slog through paperwork and referrals and reassessments as residents cycle in and out for him to keep his prescription going. I am his healthcare proxy (and have his ok to post this question), and as resourceful as I think myself to be, I am as exhausted by it all as he is.
Goal 1 is to find an online psychiatrist who can manage/prescribe psych meds as easily and hassle-free as possible to a patient in Virginia. Goal 2 would be a trauma-informed counselor he could meet with online. If both are in one subscription or pay-as-you-go app/site, even better, but not necessary.
Thank you all for any info!
An adult family member needs ongoing meds management and psych support, and the administrative nightmare that is our mental health system (U.S., Virginia) has resulted in gaps, withdrawals, added trauma, lost jobs, etc. It's only an antidepressant but it is a never-ending slog through paperwork and referrals and reassessments as residents cycle in and out for him to keep his prescription going. I am his healthcare proxy (and have his ok to post this question), and as resourceful as I think myself to be, I am as exhausted by it all as he is.
Goal 1 is to find an online psychiatrist who can manage/prescribe psych meds as easily and hassle-free as possible to a patient in Virginia. Goal 2 would be a trauma-informed counselor he could meet with online. If both are in one subscription or pay-as-you-go app/site, even better, but not necessary.
Thank you all for any info!
Agree with theora55 - get the person's GP on board. You may need to call and check in every 3 months but they should be able to do everything over the phone / telehealth, and many pharmacies deliver. Then you can start looking for therapists.
I know first-hand that Medicaid can be awful, so you have my sympathies.
posted by nkknkk at 8:06 AM on April 16, 2022
I know first-hand that Medicaid can be awful, so you have my sympathies.
posted by nkknkk at 8:06 AM on April 16, 2022
When I had to switch GPs for my young adult son the family practice docs I reached out to didn’t want to manage ssri meds. I have certainly encountered some who have, but not all. I ended up getting him meds through Brightside. It’s been a good experience. It’s not super cheap (fees are $95 a month + meds) but they order the meds to our local pharmacy and the prescriptions get covered by our insurance.
There are a number of companies in this space so I’d also look at forhims.com and cerebral to compare pricing and availability.
posted by jeoc at 9:43 AM on April 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
There are a number of companies in this space so I’d also look at forhims.com and cerebral to compare pricing and availability.
posted by jeoc at 9:43 AM on April 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seconding Brightside. I have regular visits with a therapist, and regular check-ins with a psychiatrist who prescribes my meds. My meds are delivered to me automatically, and always about a week before I'd be out. All scheduling is done online, no phone calls or hassle. If I ever feel like I need an extra appointment, I can get one within a day or two.
The Brightside app prompts you regularly to document your mental/emotional state through a series of questions, and displays your ups-and-downs in graphs. That was very helpful to me, because it helped me more easily recognize when things are going a little off-the-rails and need an extra appointment or two, or to discuss an adjustment in medication.
posted by erst at 10:50 AM on April 16, 2022
The Brightside app prompts you regularly to document your mental/emotional state through a series of questions, and displays your ups-and-downs in graphs. That was very helpful to me, because it helped me more easily recognize when things are going a little off-the-rails and need an extra appointment or two, or to discuss an adjustment in medication.
posted by erst at 10:50 AM on April 16, 2022
People who don't have consistent mental health help are unlikely to have a regular GP/PCP.
OP, to answer the question you asked, a friend of mine is doing great with betterhelp.com. It is expensive but he was able to choose a non-religious therapist among other preferences and he doesn't have to schedule months in advance and take half a day off work for in-person appointments.
posted by headnsouth at 11:24 AM on April 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
OP, to answer the question you asked, a friend of mine is doing great with betterhelp.com. It is expensive but he was able to choose a non-religious therapist among other preferences and he doesn't have to schedule months in advance and take half a day off work for in-person appointments.
posted by headnsouth at 11:24 AM on April 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
Does this person only ("only") need consistent prescription renewals for one SSRI/other common antidepressant that has been sufficient for them, or do they take something more complex and/or need adjustments to their meds? Realistically, I would take different paths for those two things. For the former, the skill of the prescriber doesn't matter much. For the latter, it really can matter a lot.
posted by needs more cowbell at 5:37 AM on April 17, 2022
posted by needs more cowbell at 5:37 AM on April 17, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by theora55 at 8:03 AM on April 16, 2022 [1 favorite]