Many psychiatric disorders require medication treatment for recovery. During your initial evaluation, you will be assessed for appropriateness of medication treatment.
In situations where medication is indicated, it is imperative that you understand the target symptoms and likely outcomes. Medication is not guaranteed to work for everyone and it is possible that you may undergo several medication trials before finding the medication that will work for you. Immediate relief of symptoms may not be possible since most psychiatric medication can take up to a few weeks to realize the benefits. Additionally, all medications carry potential risks and side effects. Before initiating any medication treatment, Dr. Choy will always discuss the risks, benefits and alternative treatments, including the alternative option of no medication or psychotherapy alone.
Medication sessions are 25 minutes in duration. Frequency of visits can range from 2 weeks to once every 3-4 months, depending on your situation. During time of medication initiation, or in highly complex cases and need for frequent medication adjustments, patients may be seen more often, once every 2 to 4 weeks. Once the situation is stable, patients are generally seen every 3-4 months.
Please note that no medication management is conducted over the phone. As such, no refills are provided between appointments.