Being prescribed a medication, and especially a psychiatric medication, may sound very scary, doubly so if you are a parent considering a medication to treat your child.  At CAPS of Maine, we take pharmacological interventions very seriously.  This is the reason why we feel the initial evaluation is so important, and the reason why we take a little more time at each appointment to learn as much as we can about each and every individual who walks through the door.  This provides us with valuable information so that together, provider, patient, and/or family, we can develop a treatment plan that is tailored to help decrease the suffering experienced by the patient.

 

Not all patients and not all psychiatric illnesses can be treated with medications. If a medication is indicated, we will have a discussion regarding treatment options and education will be provided to everyone involved. Education surrounding side effects and course of treatment will be provided. We will monitor the effectiveness of the medication and weigh the risks and benefits of continuing or discontinuing a medication trial. Because each patient is unique, psychiatric medications tend to react differently with different people due to the differing brain chemistries. On the whole, medications are usually well tolerated and at times will far outweigh the potential risks.

 

At CAPS of Maine, we utilize shared decision-making and evidence-based medicine practices to decrease the suffering from mental illness.

 

For more information please see the following:

 

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – Parameters, Updates, and Guidelines: https://www.aacap.org/aacap/AACAP/Resources_for_Primary_Care/Practice_Parameters_and_Resource_Centers/Practice_Parameters.aspx

 

American Psychiatric Association - Clinical Practice Guidelines:

https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/clinical-practice-guidelines

 

Shared Decision making Tools from Mayo Clinic:

https://shareddecisions.mayoclinic.org