Quick answer: Book your new provider before you leave your current one, and start about 4 to 6 weeks before your medication runs out. Ask your current provider for enough refills to cover the move, request your records, and bring a full medication list to your first new visit. Never stop a psychiatric medication on your own while you wait.
People switch psychiatric providers for many reasons: a move, a change in insurance, a provider who retires, long wait times, or simply wanting a better fit. Switching is normal and your right as a patient. The risk is the gap in between, when your old prescriptions run out before your new provider has seen you.
Why a gap in medication is a problem
Many psychiatric medications should not be stopped suddenly. With antidepressants, for example, stopping abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, sleep problems, irritability, anxiety and “brain zaps” (NHS). Other medications, such as mood stabilizers, can lead to a return of symptoms if they are stopped without a plan. If you started a medication recently, our guide to the first 8 weeks on anxiety and depression medication explains why steady, daily use matters.
A gap can also undo progress. If your symptoms come back, your new provider has to stabilize you first before working on your goals. That is why the steps below focus on one thing: keeping your current prescriptions going until your new provider takes over.
Step 1: Start 4 to 6 weeks before your supply runs out
Check how many days of medication you have left and how many refills remain on each prescription. Then work backwards. New patient appointments can take days or weeks to get, and your first visit is usually a longer evaluation. Starting 4 to 6 weeks early gives you room if the first available appointment is later than you hoped.
Step 2: Ask your current provider for a bridge refill
If you can, tell your current provider that you are switching and ask for enough refills to cover the move. Most providers are happy to help, because a safe handover is part of good care. It helps to say:
- the name of your new provider or practice, if you have one
- the date of your first appointment
- how many days of each medication you have left
If your provider has closed their practice or retired, call the office anyway. Practices that close usually arrange for another clinician to handle records and urgent refills.
Step 3: Request your records
Your new provider will want your diagnosis, past medications, doses, and how you responded to them. You have a legal right to a copy of your records. Under HIPAA, a provider generally has 30 days to respond to your request, with one possible 30-day extension (45 CFR 164.524). Maryland law also requires providers to share records within a reasonable time after a written request (Md. Code, Health-General 4-304).
Because records can take weeks, ask early. You can also sign a release so your old provider sends records directly to your new one.
Step 4: Book your new provider before you leave the old one
This is the step that prevents most gaps. Keep your current provider until your first appointment with the new one is booked, and ideally until it has happened. Before you book, check that the new provider:
- is licensed in Maryland (or the state where you will be during visits). You can check a license on the Maryland Board of Nursing or Maryland Board of Physicians website
- treats your condition and prescribes the type of medication you take
- accepts your insurance, or has clear self-pay prices
- can see you before your medication runs out
Step 5: Bring the right information to your first visit
Even if your records have not arrived, you can give your new provider most of what they need. Bring or have ready:
- A current medication list: name, dose, how often you take it, and when you started
- Past medications: what you tried, roughly how long, and why you stopped
- Your diagnoses and any recent lab results
- Your pharmacy name and location
- Your goals: what is working, what is not, and any side effects
Pill bottles or a photo of each label work well for your current list. With this information, many providers can continue a stable, non-controlled medication at the first visit if it is clinically appropriate. If you are not sure whether your medication is working, our guide on what to do when your medication is not working can help you prepare.
Step 6: Keep using the same pharmacy
Staying with the same pharmacy during a switch makes things simpler. Your pharmacist already has your history, can tell your new provider exactly what you have been filling, and can flag drug interactions. When your new provider sends a prescription, it goes electronically to that pharmacy, just like a refill from your old provider.
What if you are already running low?
If you have only a few days left and no new appointment yet:
- Call your current provider first. Even if you are leaving, ask for a short refill to bridge the gap.
- Ask your pharmacist for advice. They can check whether you have refills left and contact your prescriber for you. In Maryland, pharmacists can refill some non-controlled prescriptions without prescriber approval only in limited situations, such as a declared state of emergency (Md. Code, Health Occupations 12-506), so do not count on it.
- Ask the new practice about earlier openings. Tell them you are close to running out; some practices keep a cancellation list.
- Do not stop or ration your medication on your own. Taking less than prescribed can cause the same problems as stopping. Talk to a prescriber or pharmacist first.
If you start to feel unsafe at any point, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.
Special cases: controlled medications and insurance
Controlled medications. Stimulants and benzodiazepines follow stricter rules, and not every practice prescribes them. Some online practices, including Thrive, do not prescribe controlled substances at all. If you take one, confirm before you switch that your new provider can continue it or will work with you on a safe alternative. Our post on whether online providers can prescribe medication in Maryland explains the current rules.
Insurance. If you are switching because your insurance changed, check that your new plan covers your medications. Some plans need a new prior authorization, which your new provider may have to submit. Asking your plan before your first visit avoids surprises at the pharmacy. If a state-regulated plan denies coverage, the Maryland Insurance Administration can help with appeals and complaints. For typical visit costs, see our guide to telepsychiatry costs and copays in Maryland.
Switching to Thrive Telepsychiatry
Thrive Telepsychiatry is a Baltimore-based online practice that has focused on telepsychiatry since 2015. Visits are by secure video with a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner licensed in Maryland. Curious whether online care works as well as an office visit? Read about how effective telepsychiatry is.
- Who we see: teens and adults aged 13 and up who are in Maryland at the time of each visit
- What we treat: ADHD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, OCD, PTSD and eating disorders (see all conditions we treat)
- What we prescribe: non-controlled medications only, with ongoing medication management and regular follow-up visits
- Cost: $250 for the first one-hour evaluation and $175 for each 30-minute follow-up if you self-pay. Thrive accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Johns Hopkins Hospital Employee Health Plan. See plans and pricing.
When you book, tell us how much medication you have left so we can plan your first visit around it. Meet our provider or get started.
FAQs
Can a new psychiatrist continue my current medication?
Yes, in most cases. After an evaluation, a new provider can continue a medication that is working for you if it is clinically appropriate. They may adjust the dose or suggest a change later, but most aim to keep you stable first.
Do I have to tell my current psychiatrist that I am leaving?
You do not have to, but it usually helps. Telling them makes it easier to get a bridge refill and have your records sent to your new provider.
How long does it take to switch psychiatric providers?
It depends on how soon your new provider can see you. Plan for 4 to 6 weeks from the time you start looking to your first visit, and keep your current prescriptions going until then.
Will my new provider need my old records?
They are very helpful but not always required before the first visit. A clear medication list and history usually let your new provider start care while the records are on their way.
Can I switch psychiatric providers if I move within Maryland?
Yes. With an online practice licensed in Maryland, you can keep the same provider anywhere in the state, as long as you are in Maryland during each visit.
What should I do if I run out of medication before my first appointment?
Call your current provider and your pharmacist right away, and ask the new practice for an earlier opening. Do not stop or ration your medication without talking to a prescriber. If you feel unsafe, call or text 988.
