How to Get PTSD Medication Care Online in Pennsylvania

Step one: confirm you can be seen here

Online care follows where you are during the visit. To see our psychiatrist, you must be physically located in Pennsylvania or New York for each visit, so a video visit from somewhere else is not an option. If you often travel, mention that when you reach out.

NIMH says care you can get virtually may include an assessment, a diagnosis, a treatment plan and a prescription for medication, depending on your insurance and provider, and that virtual care can be effective for PTSD. You will need an internet connection, a phone, tablet or computer, and a private place to talk.

Step two: check who is licensed in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, physicians are overseen by two separate boards, both within the Department of State. The State Board of Medicine regulates the practice of medicine through licensure, registration, certification and discipline. The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine regulates the licensure and registration of doctors of osteopathic medicine and surgery. So the board you look for depends on whether the doctor is an MD or a DO.

Our psychiatrist is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, so the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine is the relevant board. If you are looking at another doctor, check the letters after their name first.

Step three: decide what you want from the visit

It helps to know the basics. Trauma-focused talk therapies are recommended over medicine by the VA/DoD guideline, and medicine is an effective option when those therapies are not available or feasible, or when you prefer it. The National Center for PTSD says only sertraline and paroxetine are FDA-approved for PTSD. It says the strongest medicine evidence covers those and venlafaxine, which is off-label for PTSD.

You do not need to pick a medicine beforehand, and you should not feel pressure to. Think instead about what you most want to change, such as sleep or feeling on edge, and which questions you have.

Step four: get in touch with us

1. 1Send a note or callUse our medication care contact form or call 267-573-9817. Tell us you are in Pennsylvania and looking for trauma care.
2. 2Ask your practical questionsFees, insurance for psychiatry, ages seen and timing are questions to ask us directly, as is whether therapy here is required. Ask us about coverage for your own plan.
3. 3Gather your informationBring a list of what you take, including over-the-counter medicines and supplements, plus medicines you have tried and how they went.
4. 4Meet by secure videoJoin from a private place in Pennsylvania. You choose how much to share about what you went through. See our guide to a first online psychiatry visit for trauma.

What can happen after that first visit

A first visit may not end in a prescription. Whether any medicine is an option for you is a decision for you and your prescriber. If something is prescribed, follow-up visits are the place to talk about how it is working and any side effects.

If you take a medicine from another prescriber, keep taking it as directed, and do not stop it because you are looking for someone new. Our online psychiatrist in Pennsylvania page and our online trauma treatment page explain more.

Pennsylvania residents have another option with us: our therapists see clients here, and they do not prescribe. Our trauma and PTSD therapy page explains how that works. Medicine, therapy or both can all be part of a plan, and things can improve with treatment.

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