Communicating Non-Emergent Medication & Symptom Concerns

How to Contact Your Medication Management Provider About Non-Emergency Concerns

If you are a current medication management patient at Dr. Goldberg & Associates and have a non-emergency question or concern about your medication, symptoms, or treatment, the patient portal is the best way to communicate with your psychiatric provider between appointments.

The portal allows you to securely send information to your provider so they can review your concern and determine the appropriate next step.

Patient Portal:
Log In to the TherapyPortal Patient Portal

If you need assistance accessing your account or do not know your login information, please contact our administrative team at (703) 935-0058, Option 2 or email us at [email protected].

What Can I Message My Provider About?

You can use the patient portal to communicate non-emergency medication and symptom concerns to your psychiatric provider.

Examples include:

New or changing symptoms
Possible medication side effects
Questions about how you are feeling after starting a medication
Changes you have noticed since a medication adjustment
Concerns about whether a medication is working
Questions about your current medication or treatment plan
Information your provider asked you to report between appointments
Other non-urgent concerns related to your psychiatric treatment

If you need a prescription refill, please follow our separate Medication Refill Request process.

What Information Should I Include in My Message?

Providing clear information can help your provider better understand what's happening and determine what may be needed next.

When relevant, consider including:

The name and dosage of the medication
The symptoms or side effects you're experiencing
When the symptoms or side effects started
Whether they began after starting or changing a medication
Whether symptoms are getting better, worse, or staying the same
How the concern is affecting your daily life
Any specific question you would like your provider to address

You don't need to diagnose what is happening yourself. Simply describe what you're experiencing as clearly as you can.

Will My Provider Respond Through the Portal?

The patient portal is used to communicate non-emergency concerns with our psychiatric providers. Only our psychiatric providers currently receive patient messages through the portal.

Messages are monitored during business hours and should not be used for urgent or emergency concerns.

Depending on the nature of your question, your provider may be able to respond through the portal, or they may determine that your concern requires an appointment so it can be evaluated more thoroughly.

Why Might I Need an Appointment?

Some medication and symptom concerns cannot be appropriately addressed through messaging alone.

Your provider may recommend scheduling an appointment if they need to:

Ask additional questions about your symptoms
Evaluate possible medication side effects
Discuss changing a medication or dosage
Assess new or worsening symptoms
Review multiple concerns
Make a clinical decision that requires a more complete assessment

Requiring an appointment does not necessarily mean that something is wrong. It allows your provider to gather the information they need to make an appropriate clinical recommendation.

To schedule a medication management appointment, call (703) 935-0058 and press 2 or email us at [email protected].

What If I'm Experiencing a Medication Side Effect?

If you are experiencing a non-urgent possible medication side effect, send your psychiatric provider a message through the patient portal. Include the medication name and dosage, what you're experiencing, when it began, and any other relevant changes you've noticed.

Your provider can review the information and determine whether additional discussion or an appointment is needed.

If you believe your symptoms may require immediate medical attention, do not wait for a portal response. Seek urgent or emergency medical care.

The Patient Portal Is Not for Emergencies

The patient portal is intended for non-emergency communication only and is monitored during business hours.

If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, believe you may harm yourself or someone else, or need immediate assistance, do not send a portal message and wait for a response.

Call 911, call or text 988, or go to the nearest emergency room.

If you are experiencing an urgent medical concern or a potentially serious reaction to medication, seek appropriate immediate medical care.

Need a Medication Refill?

Medication refill requests have their own process. If you need a refill rather than having a question about symptoms, side effects, or treatment, please visit our How to Request a Medication Refill page.

Keeping refill requests and clinical concerns separate helps our team and providers understand what you need and respond appropriately.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I contact my psychiatric provider between appointments?

Current medication management patients should use the patient portal for non-emergency questions about medications, symptoms, side effects, and treatment. Only psychiatric providers currently receive messages through the portal.

Can I message my provider about medication side effects?

Yes. If the side effect is non-urgent, you can send your provider a portal message describing what you're experiencing, the medication and dosage you're taking, when the symptoms began, and any relevant changes. For potentially serious or urgent reactions, seek immediate medical care rather than waiting for a portal response.

Can my provider change my medication through a portal message?

Your provider will determine what is clinically appropriate based on your individual situation. Some concerns may require an appointment before your provider can recommend a medication or dosage change.

What if my symptoms have gotten worse?

Send your provider a portal message if your symptoms are worsening but the situation is not urgent or an emergency. Describe what's changed and when you noticed the change. Your provider may recommend scheduling an appointment for further evaluation.

If you need immediate help or are experiencing a mental health or medical emergency, call 911, call or text 988, or go to the nearest emergency room.

Should I use the portal to request a refill?

Please use the practice's separate Medication Refill Request process for prescription refills. This page and portal guidance are intended for non-emergency medication, symptom, side-effect, and treatment concerns.