How to Get Antidepressant Care Online in Pennsylvania

Step 1: Look for a Pennsylvania-licensed prescriber

Licensing follows where you are. The Pennsylvania Department of State says practitioners who provide services to people in Pennsylvania need to be licensed in Pennsylvania, whether care happens in person or through an electronic interaction such as a telehealth consultation.

Two boards cover physicians. The State Board of Medicine regulates medical physicians and surgeons, and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine regulates doctors of osteopathic medicine and surgery. Both boards handle licensure and discipline, so a psychiatrist's board depends on the degree they hold.

Step 2: Verify the license

The Department of State offers a way to check that a professional has an active license, through its verification service. A separate listing covers professional licensing disciplinary actions. Physicians are among those it covers, so this is worth doing before you share personal details with an online service.

If you have concerns about a Pennsylvania licensee later, the Department's telemedicine page also links to a way to file a complaint against a licensed professional. Most people never need this, and it helps to know it exists.

Step 3: Understand how telemedicine works in Pennsylvania

The Department of State says licensees of its health boards can provide services within their existing scope of practice by telemedicine when appropriate, as long as it follows accepted standards of care. It also says that there can be other questions, such as insurance coverage, reimbursement policies and whether telemedicine is medically appropriate for you.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says that, depending on your insurance and provider, virtual care can include an assessment, diagnosis, treatment plan and a prescription, and that it can be effective for depression. As general information, NIMH suggests confirming with your insurer or the provider's billing office that telehealth is covered, because policies vary by state.

Step 4: Prepare for the video visit

Writing down your questions and everything you take makes a video visit easier. For an antidepressant conversation, a little extra preparation helps.

• A list of current medicines, vitamins, herbal products and supplements.
• Antidepressants you have tried before, and how they went.
• Any family history of mental health conditions.
• Your main symptoms, when they began and how they affect your day.
• A private spot in Pennsylvania, a charged device and a steady internet connection.

Step 5: Know what can and cannot happen online

A prescriber decides with you whether a medicine makes sense. Some visits end with a plan that does not include a prescription, and that can be the right outcome. Rules also differ from one medicine to another, so ask about the one you have in mind.

Esketamine is different. It is not available by online visit, because its label requires a certified healthcare setting and monitoring afterward. Our medicine library has a page for each medicine, and it covers warnings as well as approved uses. Antidepressant warnings include a boxed warning about suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens and young adults, which is why follow-up visits matter.

Seeing our psychiatrist in Pennsylvania

A licensed psychiatrist on our team, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine with more than three decades of practice, offers online depression treatment by secure video for people physically located in Pennsylvania or New York during each visit. He is open to new patients and referrals. See online psychiatry in Pennsylvania to learn more. Whether a medicine is an option for you is a decision for you and your prescriber.

To begin, ask us whether our psychiatrist can help using our medication care contact form. Ask us about fees, insurance and timing too. Our therapists do not prescribe, but they offer depression therapy online in Pennsylvania, and with your permission a therapist here and the psychiatrist can coordinate your care.

If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911. Locascio Wellness does not provide emergency services.