Psychiatric Medication Management: Online and in-person
Key takeaways
- Psychiatric medication management is an ongoing prescribing relationship: a prescriber evaluates you, starts a medication when it fits, then monitors and adjusts it over time. It is not therapy, and it works well alongside therapy.
- Zellig provides this care by video across Pennsylvania, with in-person options near Philadelphia.
- Our appointments are longer than the typical 10-minute med check, so there is time to review side effects and fine-tune the dose.
- Care is led by physician assistants with psychiatric training, in a collaborative practice that includes a psychiatrist.
- Self-pay rates are $300 for a 60-minute evaluation, $375 for 80 minutes, and $150 for a 30-minute follow-up, and we accept most major commercial insurance. See insurance and fees.
Medication management across Pennsylvania, at a glance
Zellig provides psychiatric medication management across Pennsylvania, most of it by secure video, with in-person options near Philadelphia. The care is built on longer appointments than the industry-standard rushed med check, which is where most of the benefit comes from.
Medication management is an ongoing relationship, not a one-time script. This page maps the service: what it is, how it works, who prescribes, what it costs, and how to start. Some people call it psych medication management.
What is medication management?
Medication management is the evaluation, prescribing, and ongoing monitoring of psychiatric medication by a qualified prescriber. The prescriber reviews your symptoms and history, decides with you whether medication fits, starts one if it does, and then tracks how it works and adjusts it over time.
It is different from therapy. Therapy is talk-based treatment with a counselor; medication management is the medical side, handled by a prescriber, not a therapist. The two work well together, and many people do both.
How medication management works at Zellig
Good medication management runs in a cycle: evaluate, prescribe, then follow up and adjust. The first medication is a starting point you refine over time. Switching medications or changing the dose is a normal, planned part of the process, so the follow-up structure matters more than the first choice you make together.
Follow-up visits are close together at the start and space out once things are steady. When you are starting or changing a medication, clinical guidelines for depression call for frequent check-ins, often weekly to every few weeks, with a proper look at how you are doing around four to eight weeks in. Those early visits also watch for warning signs. When someone starts an antidepressant, the first weeks carry a higher risk of worsening mood or new suicidal thoughts, especially for anyone under 25, so the FDA advises close monitoring during that time. Once you are stable, visits can move to every few months. Skipping those early check-ins is often where treatment stops working, which is why we keep follow-up visits on a schedule that fits where you are.
This is where a longer appointment matters. A 10-minute med check has time to refill a prescription and little else. A 30-minute visit leaves room to hear how the medication is landing, review side effects, adjust the dose, and talk honestly about stopping one when that is right.
What a medication management appointment is like
A medication management appointment is a focused visit about your medication and how it is working. Your prescriber asks about symptoms, side effects, sleep, and how daily life is going, then adjusts the plan. Follow-ups run about 30 minutes at Zellig, longer than a standard med check, so nothing important gets rushed.
What to expect at your first psychiatrist appointment
Your first appointment is a longer telehealth evaluation, usually 60 to 80 minutes. Your prescriber goes through your symptoms, history, current medications, and what you want to get out of care. It ends with a plan and a scheduled follow-up. The plan may or may not include a prescription that day.
At Zellig, that first visit is with a physician assistant who has psychiatric training, not a rushed intake. Have a few things ready: your current medications and doses, a short history of what you have tried, and your pharmacy. If a prescription is part of the plan, we send it before you leave, and you know when you will be seen next.
Virtual medication management across Pennsylvania
Yes, medication management can be done online. At Zellig, the evaluation, prescribing, and follow-up all happen by secure video, and virtual medication management is available statewide across Pennsylvania. Plenty of people start with a local search for psychiatric medication management near me and hit long waitlists; video care removes the travel problem and reaches you anywhere in the state. We also offer in-person visits near Philadelphia.
Virtual care fits most people who need ongoing prescribing. A few situations are better in person, and some medications, including controlled substances, can carry extra steps for virtual prescribing; your prescriber will tell you if that applies. For in-person care, we see patients at our Wayne office on the Main Line and in Bucks County, and you can read more about online psychiatry across Pennsylvania.
Who prescribes and manages your medication
Your medication is managed by a physician assistant with psychiatric training, in a collaborative practice that includes a psychiatrist. Under Pennsylvania licensing rules, physician assistants prescribe psychiatric medication through a written agreement with a physician, so a PA-led visit is complete prescribing care.
Our prescribing clinicians include Riley Guinan, PA-C, Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, and Jane Joy, PA-C. People often look for a medication management psychiatrist. At Zellig that care is PA-led, and a psychiatrist is part of the practice. It rules out one option: a therapist does not prescribe, so if medication is your goal, you need a prescriber.
Cost and insurance for medication management
Here are our self-pay rates in plain numbers. The detailed insurance picture lives on our insurance and fees page.
| Visit | Length | Self-pay rate |
|---|---|---|
| Initial evaluation | 60 minutes | $300 |
| Initial evaluation | 80 minutes | $375 |
| Follow-up | 30 minutes | $150 |
We accept most major commercial insurance plans in Pennsylvania and bill your carrier directly. We do not accept Medicare, Medicaid, or other government plans right now. If you are out of network, we can provide a superbill you can submit for possible reimbursement.
Other Zellig services
These pair with medication management:
- ADHD evaluations: a structured assessment when ADHD is the question, before any prescribing decision.
- Supervised medication tapering: coming soon, for patients who want to come off a medication safely.
Conditions we treat with medication management
We manage medication for several common conditions, each linked to a page that goes deeper:
- ADHD and teen ADHD
- Anxiety, including generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder
- Insomnia
Common questions about medication management
Who can prescribe psychiatric medication?
In Pennsylvania, psychiatric medication can be prescribed by psychiatrists, physician assistants, and certified registered nurse practitioners, per state licensing rules. PAs and CRNPs prescribe under a written agreement with a physician. Therapists and psychologists do not prescribe. At Zellig, your prescriber is a PA with psychiatric training.
How often are medication management follow-up visits?
Medication management follow-ups are frequent at first and less frequent once you are stable. When starting or changing a medication, clinical guidelines support check-ins as often as weekly to every few weeks, with a review around four to eight weeks. Once steady, many people move to visits every few months.
Can everything be done virtually, including follow-ups and refills?
Yes, medication management can run entirely by video for most people, including the first evaluation, follow-ups, and refills, statewide across Pennsylvania. Some medications, such as controlled substances, can carry extra requirements, and a few situations are better seen in person. In-person visits near Philadelphia are available when you want them.
How much does psychiatric medication management cost?
Zellig’s self-pay rates are $300 for a 60-minute initial evaluation, $375 for 80 minutes, and $150 for a 30-minute follow-up. We accept most major commercial insurance and bill your carrier directly; we do not accept government plans. Out-of-network patients can request a superbill. See full details.
Do you also offer therapy?
Zellig focuses on psychiatric medication management, the prescribing side of care. However, we’ve curated a collective of multiple trustworthy, skilled therapists and therapy groups whom we work very closely with. If you’re open to or looking for therapy, we’ll search our network to find the best fit so that we can make a personalized referral.
Start medication management in Pennsylvania
Longer appointments, statewide by video, availability within the week. At Zellig, your prescriber has the knowledge and the time to get your meds right.
This page offers general information only. Any decision about your medication is one to make with your own prescriber.