The 411 on your medication history

You have an upcoming appointment with your new psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. You are hoping to be placed on good medication regimen to help eliminate or reduce your psychiatric symptoms. To help with your initial psychiatric evaluation I would like to discuss the importance of knowing your past and present medications.

Past Psychiatric Medication History

• Remembering the medications that you have taken will be very beneficial for your provider. This will allow them understand what medications previous providers have attempted.
• Knowing the highest dose and length of treatment can give insight about if there was any success or failure on the medication.
• Discussing any side effects that you experienced with your past medications could clue the provider in on if a certain class of medications may not be best for you. 
• Remembering when you started a medication can aid the provider if he/she would like to start a new drug that would need prior authorization from your insurance company.
• If you had success with a medication, you and your provider can discuss restarting the drug.

Current Medication History

• Knowing all of your current medications and doses will help in understanding your medical history.
• Your provider will try to make sure that any new or current drug you are taking do not have adverse interactions with each other
• Some drugs may lower the effects of other drugs
• In some circumstances, a drug can  increase the level of other drugs which other providers did not intend for and may not be good for your overall health

Family Medication History

• If family members have shared what psychiatric medications (antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, ADHD stimulants, and anti-anxiety medications) they have taken, please share that will your provider.
• Your provider would want to know if there were any success or failure on the medications.
• Due to your genetics there may be a good possibility that the medication may help you as well.

I hope you have a great experience on your initial psychiatric evaluation with your new provider.

We at Genesis Psychiatric Solutions are here to help you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (703) 955-0915 or email at info@gpsmindset.com.  

Author

Dr. Ifeanyi Olele Ifeanyi Olele, DO, MBA, MS, is a board-certified psychiatrist who sees adolescent and adult patients in the greater Washington DC metropolitan area at Genesis Psychiatric Solutions. Dr. Olele is a dedicated psychiatrist in the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma-related stress disorders, and attention deficit disorders. Dr. Ifeanyi Olele is one of the few psychiatrists who utilizes psychotherapy (talk therapy) as part of his treatment plan.