Medication Management

Nugent Family Counseling

Mental Health Counseling Located In San Jose, CA, Los Gatos, CA & Reno, NV

During your treatment for a mental health disorder, you may need medication to improve your symptoms. The team at Nugent Family Counseling Center, with offices in San Jose, California, Los Gatos, California, and Reno, Nevada, includes psychiatrists with expertise in physical and mental health. They assess all your symptoms, perform a psychiatric evaluation, and recommend treatment that may consist of medication management. To schedule an evaluation, call one of the offices or book online today.


What does it mean to have medication management?

Comprehensive treatment for a mental health disorder often includes medication. Prescription medications may serve as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with clinical interventions such as psychotherapy and neurofeedback.

Your psychiatrist at Nugent Family Counseling Center doesn’t write a prescription and leave you on your own. They provide ongoing medication management, scheduling regular follow-up appointments so they can monitor your progress and adjust your medication as needed.

Why is medication management essential for optimal results?

Psychiatric medications include:

  • Antidepressants
  • Antipsychotics
  • Mood stabilizers
  • Antianxiety agents
  • Stimulants

There are many different medications within each of the above groups. Though all the medicines in one group achieve the same overall results, such as improving depression, each drug works differently in your body to reach the results.

Additionally, every person responds differently to the same medication. Your genetics determine how you metabolize a specific drug. That’s why one antidepressant produces a dramatic improvement for one person but fails to help another.

Your medication management deals with all these variables. To achieve optimal improvement in your symptoms while protecting your health, your psychiatrist at Nugent Family Counseling Center:

  • Evaluates the medication’s effectiveness
  • Monitors for side effects
  • Prescribes new medication as needed
  • Changes your dose as needed
  • Orders blood tests if required

Your psychiatrist chooses the best medication based on their experience and your symptoms and medical history. The team at Nugent Family Counseling Center also offers genetic testing, which can make a difference, as well. 

Should I get genetic testing during medication management?

Due to the numerous medications and variables in each person’s metabolism, most patients go through a period of trial-and-error before settling on the drug and dose that works. You can avoid this problem with genetic testing.

Genetic testing, called pharmacogenetics, is simple; your provider at Nugent Family Counseling Center simply swabs your cheek then sends the sample for analysis. The results provide detailed information about how you metabolize specific drugs, if your genes affect the drug’s action, your risk for side effects, and the variations in your metabolism that determine the best dose.

Pharmacogenetics allows your psychiatrist to tailor your treatment without trial-and-error, but the test is purely optional. With or without the test, your psychiatrist at Nugent Family Counseling Center works closely with you to develop a treatment plan that improves your mental health.

If you need medication management, call Nugent Family Counseling Center, or book an appointment online today.