If you are taking psychotropic medication, it is important throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure you plan to have enough medication to continue taking as prescribed. Here are some other options for you to get medication refilled:
- Reach out to your regular psychiatric medication prescriber first.
- Contact your primary care physician at home. This may be a pediatrician; internist; OB/GYN; or your parents' general practitioner -- they may be able and willing to refill your medication on a short-term basis.
- If you had your medication filled at a chain pharmacy (e.g. CVS, Walgreens, Target, grocery-store based pharmacy), they may be able to transfer your prescription from D.C. to your home state. If they have an on-site clinic (e.g., the CVS “Minute Clinic”), they may also be willing to refill your medication on a short-term basis provided you bring in your original prescription/empty bottle so that they know exactly what medication and dosage you are taking.
- On an emergency basis, you might visit Urgent Care or the nearest hospital Emergency Room. We recommend checking your insurance coverage, to avoid any unexpected co-pay. Emergency rooms are usually more expensive to visit than urgent care centers. We also encourage you to use caution and avoid hospitals during this time if possible, unless it is urgent.
As always, in the event of a psychiatric emergency, we encourage clients to go to their nearest Emergency Room for the most immediate care.
The Counseling Center provides medication consultation services with Ms. Ali Phillips, the Center's consulting psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Ms. Phillips works at the Counseling Center two days a week, during the Fall and Spring Semesters.
Eligibility
Only students who are participating in individual therapy at the Counseling Center are eligible to meet with Ms. Phillips. Clients who are interested in discussing medication treatment may contact their individual counselor for more details on scheduling an appointment.
Students who are not in individual therapy at the Counseling Center but who are interested in consulting with a psychiatric provider may schedule an appointment to meet with a counselor to discuss local referral options. Counseling Center clients who require frequent psychiatric consultations (e.g. weekly) or psychiatric monitoring over the summer will be referred to off-campus psychiatric providers.
Attendance Policy
Psychiatry sessions are typically every 2 - 4 weeks for medication management. The exact frequency will be determined by Ms. Phillips.
Due to very limited availability and high demand for psychiatry services, students are permitted only one no-show or cancellation for psychiatry appointments per semester. If a student exceeds this limit, he or she will no longer be eligible to meet with Ms. Phillips and will be referred off-campus for psychiatric services for the remainder of the academic year.