II Relationship with patient
A. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will conduct a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation consistent with guidelines published by the American Psychiatric Association (Am J Psychiatry 1995;152:11S:63-80).
B. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will develop a comprehensive treatment plan that includes a choice of medication.
C. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will offer the patient a clear explanation for any diagnosis and recommended treatment. This explanation will include a rationale for all elements of the treatment plan including medication and psychosocial interventions.
D. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will explicitly identify those components of treatment the psychiatrist will provide, and those components that will be provided by other non-psychiatric physicians or non-physician mental health providers.
E. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will obtain the patient’s appropriate consent to communicate with other non-psychiatric physicians or non-physician mental health providers involved in the treatment of the patient.
F. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will exercise the highest professional standards in the choice of medications and the management of continuing treatment with medications. These tasks may not be delegated to non-physician mental health providers, and require direct and ongoing personal contact with the patient at appropriate intervals. At the same time, the psychiatrist providing Medication Management may receive reports from other non-psychiatric physicians or non-physician mental health providers that inform the psychiatrist of decisions about the frequency and nature of visits with the patient.
G. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will provide those psychological interventions necessary for eliciting accurate, reliable and appropriate information about the patient’s clinical status and response to treatment; encouraging compliance with recommended treatments including those elements of treatment provided by other non-psychiatric physicians or non-physician mental health providers; and responding to any acute developments that cannot be deferred to a future appointment.
H. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will provide instruction and education about the patient’s diagnosis and recommended treatments.
I. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will provide explicit instructions for emergency coverage for evenings, weekends and vacations.
J. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will attempt to arrange for the hospitalization and treatment of any patient for whom outpatient treatment is unsafe or inadequate.
K. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will seek appropriate consultation for any problem identified outside his/her area of expertise including appropriate medical evaluation or psychological testing.
L. The psychiatrist providing Medication Management will monitor the progress of his/her patient who is seen by non-psychiatric physicians or non-physician mental health providers. This may be accomplished by periodic review of the other treatment with the patient and/or communication with other non-psychiatric physicians or non-physician mental health providers involved in the treatment of the patient. In the event that the psychiatrist concludes that a treatment provided by another non-psychiatric physician or non-physician mental health provider is not in the patient’s best interest, the psychiatrist must so inform the patient of this conclusion and the reasons for so concluding. If possible, the psychiatrist should first discuss this conclusion with the other non-psychiatric physician or non-physician mental health provider. The patient retains the right to continue such treatment. If so, the psychiatrist should consider terminating or transferring treatment of the patient.