How do you handle psych meds for patients who no-show their follow-up appointments?
Peds here, getting frustrated with the amount of no-shows regarding anxiety and depression. I typically have them follow-up 2-3 weeks after initiation of therapy to ensure the medication is working well, no SI, side effects are manageable, etc., and I always ask them to follow-up in the interim with any issues/concerns prior to that appointment.
Lately, I have been getting an increasing number of kiddos (parents, really) no-showing their follow-ups, calling to say they are doing fine, and asking for a refill. How do you guys handle this scenario in your practices? If you do refill the medication, how many times and for how long would you do it without an appointment? Maybe I'm on the more rigid end of this than my colleagues, but refilling psych medications without regular, appropriate follow-up intervals, especially in the pediatric population, makes me uneasy. However, I also hate to think I have a patient that is actually doing well on medication and won't get it as a result of a parental mistake. What's the solution, docs of reddit?