Medication should have a reason for being there.

Psychiatric medication management for adults in Boise and by telehealth across Idaho. I don't prescribe something simply because it was prescribed before, and I don't add a medication when the problem is something else.

In person downtown Boise Telehealth anywhere in Idaho Insurance accepted

If you have been on the same medication for years without anyone asking whether it still helps, or you have collected prescriptions from several providers who never spoke to each other, you are in a common situation. Psychiatric medication tends to accumulate. It rarely gets reviewed with fresh eyes.

Medication management is that review, and everything after it: choosing what to try, adjusting the dose, watching for side effects, and being willing to stop something that is not earning its place. You will understand what you are taking and why, every time.

What it includes

The whole picture, not just the prescription.

A full psychiatric evaluation first. Diagnosis before treatment, including a look at what else could explain what you are feeling: sleep, substances, thyroid, medical conditions, life circumstances.
A medication review. Everything you take, psychiatric and otherwise, and the reason each one is there.
Treatment selection that fits you. Your history, what has worked or failed before, side effects you can and cannot live with, cost, and what you actually want.
Dose optimization. Most medications fail because they were never tried at a real dose for a real length of time. Start low, move deliberately, give it a fair trial.
Side effect monitoring. Asked about directly, not left for you to bring up.
Lab monitoring when it is warranted, such as lithium levels, metabolic panels, or thyroid studies.
Coordination with your other providers. Your primary care clinician and therapist should not be guessing about what you are taking.
Deprescribing when appropriate. Stopping a medication is a clinical decision that deserves the same care as starting one.
Ongoing reassessment. A plan that worked two years ago is not automatically the right plan today.

How it works

What the process looks like.

The evaluation

A longer first visit. Your history, your symptoms, what you have tried, and what you are hoping changes. We land on a working diagnosis and a plan together.

Finding the right fit

Follow-ups are closer together early on while we adjust. This is the stretch where we learn how you respond and what your body tolerates.

Staying well

Once things are stable, visits space out. We keep checking that the medication is still worth what it costs you, and simplify where we can.

Every medication should earn its place.

Over years of treatment, often with different providers along the way, medications accumulate. Some keep doing important work. Others stop helping, or start costing more in side effects than they give back, or simply outlast the reason they were started.

I keep asking the question rather than letting a prescription run on by default. Sometimes the honest answer, after a careful look, is to leave things exactly as they are. Sometimes it means a slow, planned taper.

Controlled substances.

Some psychiatric medications, including stimulants for ADHD and benzodiazepines, are controlled substances. They can be the right treatment, and they come with rules and monitoring that other medications do not have.

How I handle them

I prescribe controlled substances when they are clinically indicated, after an evaluation that supports the diagnosis. That means checking the prescription monitoring program, clear expectations about refills and early requests, and a single prescriber for these medications. If you are hoping to continue an existing prescription, bring records and we will start from there rather than from scratch.

Common questions

Before you book.

Can you manage medication a previous psychiatrist or provider started?

Yes, and most people come to me that way. Bring your medication list and any records you have. I will review what you are on and why, and we will decide together what to keep, adjust, or stop. I will not make changes on day one just to make changes.

Do I have to take medication?

No. Medication is one option among several, and for some conditions it is not the first-line treatment. If therapy, behavioral treatment, or a change in something else is the better answer, I will say so. I also provide psychotherapy, so a medication-free plan is a real option here.

Can medication management be done by telehealth?

Yes, for most medications and most visits, anywhere in Idaho. Some situations call for an in-person visit or lab work, and I will tell you when that is the case. See how appointments work.

How often will I be seen?

More often at the start, while we are adjusting, then spacing out as things stabilize. The exact rhythm depends on what you are taking and how you are doing, not on a fixed schedule.

Do you take insurance?

Boise Psychiatry is in network with most major Idaho plans, and self-pay is available. See insurance details.

Bring your medication list.

Whether you are starting from nothing or carrying a list you have never had explained to you, the first step is the same conversation.

Start intake

This page is general education about psychiatric medication management and is not individual medical advice. Do not start, stop, or change a psychiatric medication without talking to your prescriber. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room.