Skip to main content

Harborside Psych

New Clients
Contact us
(508) 876-3448

Medication Management for Andover, MA

Harborside Psychiatrics is based on Cape Cod, but the practice sees patients by video across Massachusetts, which means the drive on Route 93 or the wait for a local opening is not part of the equation. For a lot of Andover households, that matters: parents juggling a teenager’s school schedule with two working parents’ commutes, or professionals who need an appointment that fits between meetings rather than around a long trip into Boston. Medication management here means an actual clinical evaluation, a plan built around your life, and follow-up care that happens on a laptop or phone instead of in a waiting room.

Find a Clinician

Medication Management for people in Andover, MA

Harborside is based in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and delivers medication management to patients across the state by secure video. You do not need special software. A smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and a stable internet connection is enough, along with a private room where you can talk openly for the length of the appointment.

An initial evaluation typically runs longer than a follow-up, since it involves a full history: what symptoms you’re experiencing, what you’ve tried before, your medical background, and what you’re hoping care will address. Follow-up appointments are shorter and focus on how a medication is working, any side effects, and whether an adjustment makes sense. How often you’re seen depends on where you are in treatment. Someone starting a new medication may be seen more frequently at first, then move to a longer interval once things are stable.

When a prescription is appropriate, it’s sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice, including pharmacies in Andover or wherever is convenient for you. There’s no paper script to pick up and no separate errand.

How telehealth care actually works

Medication management at Harborside is used for a range of common mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and mood-related concerns that affect sleep, focus, or day-to-day functioning. Some patients come in already knowing what they’re dealing with. Others come in with a set of symptoms and no diagnosis yet, and the evaluation is where that gets sorted out. Medication is often paired with therapy, though not every patient needs both, and that’s part of what gets discussed at the first appointment.

What we treat

The first appointment is an evaluation, not a prescription handed over automatically. Expect questions about your current symptoms, past treatment (including anything that has or hasn’t worked before), relevant medical history, and what changes you’re hoping to see. If medication is a reasonable option, your prescriber will talk through what’s available, what to expect in terms of side effects and timeline for effect, and how follow-up will work. If medication isn’t the right fit yet, or therapy is a better starting point, that gets discussed too. You leave the appointment with a plan, not just a prescription.

What the first appointment involves

Medication management and functional psychiatry at Harborside are performed by psychiatric nurse practitioners: Rachel Egan, RN PMHNP-BC, who is also the practice’s clinical director, Emily Pardue, RN PMHNP-BC, and Kirstin Ritchie, RN PMHNP-BC. Each is qualified to evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe for mental health conditions. Full bios and credentials for each of them are available on the team page.

Therapy and eating disorder care at Harborside are delivered by the licensed therapy team: Hannah Legesse, LICSW, Tori Mahoney, LMHC, Jacquelyn Duford, LCMHC ATR, and Lexie Carchedi, LCSW. Depending on what you’re looking for, your care may involve one clinician or a coordinated combination of prescribing and therapy.

Who our clinicians are

Harborside is a private-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly for appointments. Current fees for an initial evaluation and for follow-up appointments are listed on the pricing page. If you have questions about cost, you can ask before anything is scheduled.

What it costs

If you’re in Andover and thinking about medication management, either for yourself or on behalf of a family member, the next step is scheduling an initial evaluation. You can look through the medication management overview, check the Massachusetts telehealth page for how care works across the state, or see what’s available for the wider Merrimack Valley area. If anxiety is part of what’s going on, the anxiety treatment page has more detail on how that’s approached.

Getting started

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For mental health crisis support, call or text 988. Harborside Psychiatrics does not provide emergency or after-hours care.

This page is educational and does not constitute medical advice. It does not create a provider-patient relationship. Decisions about medication and treatment should be made with a qualified clinician based on your individual circumstances. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, medication decisions should always be individualized and monitored by a qualified prescriber. [CITATION: NIMH overview of mental health medications, used to support general patient education on prescribing]

Reviewed by Rachel Egan, RN PMHNP-BC, Clinical Director, Harborside Psychiatrics. Last reviewed: {LAST_REVIEWED}.

Contact Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a diagnosis already to book an appointment?

No. The first appointment includes a full evaluation, so a prior diagnosis isn’t required to get started.

Yes, with your permission. Many patients keep an existing therapist and use Harborside only for medication management.

It depends on the medication and how you’re responding to it. Some patients are seen monthly at first, then less often once things are stable.

Prescriptions are sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice, the same as they would be after an in-person visit.

Harborside is private-pay and doesn’t bill insurance directly. A superbill is available for out-of-network reimbursement, where a plan allows it.

That’s part of ongoing management. Changes are discussed and made together at a follow-up visit, not on your own.

If you need help right now

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For mental health crisis support, call or text 988. Harborside Psychiatrics does not provide emergency or after-hours care.

Contact Us