“Can a family practitioner recommend antidepressant medications?”
One of my family friends is being treated for depression by her family doctor, who is prescribing her certain antidepressants. Is that okay or would it be better to reach out to a different doctor who specializes in treating depression, like a psychiatrist?
6 Answers
Yes.
Of course. It sounds like your family doctor has been thorough and focusing on both, your emotional and physical health, which is great. Unipolar depression and anxiety are usually handled by most family practitioners, especially since there aren’t enough psychiatrist. I recommend to seek further assessment by paychiatrist if there has been a sub-optimal response in the context of compliance with medication as there may be a misdiagnosis. Besides, having a second opinion is something I always encourage. Hope this was helpful.
Arifa Siddiqui
Family Practitioner
Yes
Any doctor that prescribes medicines can prescribe ANY medicine including anti-depressants. If there are still questions about how "well" the medicine is working, you might choose to contact a mental healthcare professional that also prescribes medicines.
If you don't mind a psychiatrist doing brain surgery then it is okay for a family doctor to prescribe psychiatric medication. It is preferable to have the prescriptions coming from a psychiatrist.
Yes, family practitioners can recommend or prescribe antidepressants. If we are unable to find a good medication or treatment to improve depression symptoms, then a referral to a psychiatrist may be done for further assistance and treatment of depression.
