Medication Management at MindSpa: Florida Telehealth Psychiatry, Same-Week Appointments
Author: Marie Hankins-Lennox, PMHNP-BC, Founder Last reviewed: May 26, 2026
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information about our medication management service. It is not medical advice and does not replace a clinical evaluation. Medication decisions are made by your prescriber during a one-to-one appointment after a full assessment.
[IMAGE: Florida PMHNP on a video call with a patient at a kitchen table. Alt: “Florida PMHNP conducting a telehealth medication management appointment.”]
MindSpa Psychiatry & Therapy provides medication management to adults across Florida through telehealth. Our prescribers are board-certified PMHNPs licensed in Florida with full prescribing authority, and we are a 100% online practice with no in-person visits. New patient evaluations are usually available within the week, and prescriptions are sent the same day to your local Florida pharmacy. We accept Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Oscar, Oxford, and TRICARE.
Call 561-576-9404 to schedule. You can also book through our online mental health practice intake page.
What Is Medication Management in Psychiatry?
Medication management is an ongoing prescribing relationship, not a one-time script. It starts with a full evaluation, then continues through regular follow-up visits where your prescriber checks how the medication is working, adjusts the dose if needed, watches for side effects, and refills your prescription. The visits get shorter as your regimen stabilizes, but the relationship continues for as long as you are on the medication.
That is the part most people are not told upfront. A primary care doctor might write a 30-day prescription for an SSRI and tell you to follow up in three months. A medication management practice is built around the follow-up. The first appointment is the start, not the end.
How Is Medication Management Different from a Regular Doctor Visit?
A general practitioner can prescribe many mental health medications, and for stable cases, that often works fine. The difference shows up when something is more complicated: a diagnosis that is not clear-cut, a medication that is not helping after the usual dose, side effects that need a different drug class, or a condition like bipolar II or PTSD where the medication choice matters and the wrong one can make things worse. PMHNPs are trained specifically in mental health prescribing, so the appointment is built around symptoms, response, and adjustment rather than fitted around a 15-minute primary care slot.
Conditions We Treat with Medication Management
We prescribe for the conditions our PMHNPs see most often in Florida adults:
- Depression treatment: SSRIs, SNRIs, atypical antidepressants
- Anxiety treatment: SSRIs, SNRIs, buspirone, short-term options where appropriate
- PTSD treatment: SSRIs and adjunctive medications for sleep and hyperarousal
- ADHD treatment: stimulants and non-stimulants, after a full evaluation
- OCD treatment: higher-dose SSRIs, clomipramine in selected cases
- Insomnia treatment: non-habit-forming sleep options where clinically appropriate
- Mood disorder treatment: bipolar II, PMDD, cyclothymia
Medication helps with the biological side of these conditions: it can lift the floor of a depressive episode, reduce panic frequency, quiet intrusive thoughts, or restore focus. It does not teach coping skills, process trauma, or fix relationship patterns. For most patients, medication works best alongside therapy services, and we will tell you honestly when we think therapy should run in parallel.
Who Prescribes at MindSpa
Every prescriber at MindSpa is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC), licensed in Florida, with full independent prescribing authority including for controlled substances.
- Marie Hankins-Lennox, PMHNP-BC (Founder)
- Beth Halprin, PMHNP
- Nicholas Leggo, PMHNP
- Everton Chin, PMHNP
MindSpa is a nurse-owned practice. That matters because the people setting the appointment length, the follow-up cadence, and the case load are clinicians, not a private-equity operations team. A typical first evaluation here is 50 to 60 minutes. A typical follow-up is 20 to 30 minutes. That is the structure most prescribers wish they had and rarely get inside larger systems.
Can a Nurse Practitioner Prescribe Mental Health Medication in Florida?
Yes. Florida grants PMHNPs full prescribing authority, including Schedule II controlled substances, after the credential and licensure requirements are met. Diagnosis uses the DSM-5 criteria, the same reference any prescriber uses. If you have been told you need to see “a psychiatrist” for medication, a board-certified PMHNP fills that prescribing role under Florida law.
What Happens at Each Appointment
There are three appointment types, and they look different.
Initial evaluation (50 to 60 minutes). We go through your history: symptoms, when they started, what has helped or made things worse, prior medications and how you responded, family history, current medical conditions, and current medications and supplements. If a medication is appropriate, your prescriber will discuss the options, the expected onset, the common side effects, and what to call about. The prescription is sent to your pharmacy the same day.
Follow-up (20 to 30 minutes). Usually two to four weeks after starting a new medication, then less often once you are stable. We go through how you have been sleeping, whether the side effects settled, whether the dose feels right, and what is still bothering you. Most dose changes happen here.
Refill visit (15 to 20 minutes). For established patients on a stable regimen. A quick check-in, a symptom review, and a refill.
How Often Will I Need to Come Back?
Early in treatment: every two to four weeks while we find the right medication and dose. Once you are stable: every one to three months for non-controlled medications, and every one to three months for controlled substances per Florida prescribing rules. We will tell you the schedule that fits your specific medication during your first visit.
What If My Medication Isn’t Working?
This is normal, and it is not a failure. The first medication is right for roughly half of patients, and the rest need a dose change, a switch within the same class, or a switch to a different class. We expect this. At your follow-up, tell us exactly what is and is not working, and we will adjust. If something is wrong between appointments, message us through the portal or call the office, and we will get back to you the same business day or schedule an earlier visit.
Telehealth Medication Management in Florida: How It Works
The appointment is a video visit on your phone, tablet, or computer. You need to be physically located in Florida at the time of the visit because our prescribers are Florida-licensed. After the visit, your prescription is sent electronically to the local Florida pharmacy you designate, usually within the same business day.
Can a Telehealth Provider Prescribe Controlled Substances in Florida?
Sometimes, with conditions. The DEA has extended telemedicine flexibilities that allow controlled substances to be prescribed through video visits in many situations, and Florida law permits PMHNPs to prescribe Schedule II through V medications. That said, the rules are stricter for Schedule II medications (stimulants like Adderall and Vyvanse, certain others), and there are limits on quantity, the need for follow-up, and what can be done at a first visit versus a subsequent visit.
To be straight with you: we do not promise a Schedule II prescription at the first appointment. The first appointment is a real evaluation. If a stimulant is the right treatment after that evaluation, we prescribe it. If a non-stimulant is a better fit, or if more information is needed first, we say so. That honesty is the point of the appointment.
How Do I Get My Prescription After a Telehealth Visit?
Your prescriber sends the prescription electronically to a Florida pharmacy you choose. Most prescriptions arrive at the pharmacy within an hour of the visit ending. For controlled substances, electronic prescribing is used where allowed, and there may be additional pharmacy-side verification.
Insurance and Fees
We accept Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Oscar, Oxford, and TRICARE. Most patients pay only their plan’s copay or coinsurance.
Self-pay rates are flat and posted:
- Initial evaluation: $200
- Follow-up visit: $150
See how much does it cost for a fuller breakdown, or the insurance we accept page to verify your specific plan. Our intake team will run a benefits check before your first appointment so you know your cost in advance.
How to Start
- Call 561-576-9404 or request an appointment online.
- We verify your insurance or confirm self-pay before the visit.
- You receive a secure video link and intake forms.
- You attend your initial evaluation from anywhere in Florida.
- If a medication is prescribed, it goes to your local pharmacy the same day.
Call 561-576-9404 to schedule your evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is psychiatric medication management? A: It is an ongoing prescribing relationship for mental health medications. It includes an initial evaluation, regular follow-up visits to check response and adjust the dose, side effect monitoring, and refills. It is structured around continuing care rather than a one-time prescription.
Q: Can I transfer my existing prescriptions to MindSpa? A: Yes. Bring a current medication list and, if possible, recent records from your prior prescriber. Your first visit with us is still a full evaluation, and in most cases we can continue your current regimen the same day if it is appropriate. For controlled substances, we may ask for additional records before continuing the prescription.
Q: How quickly can I get a medication management appointment in Florida? A: New patient evaluations are usually available within the week, often within a few days. Call 561-576-9404 to check current availability.
Q: Does insurance cover medication management via telehealth? A: Yes, for the plans we accept (Aetna, Cigna, BCBS, UHC, Oscar, Oxford, TRICARE). Florida insurance parity rules require telehealth mental health visits to be covered the same as in-person visits for these plans. We verify your specific benefits before the visit.
Q: Can MindSpa prescribe ADHD medication (Adderall, Vyvanse) via telehealth? A: We can prescribe stimulants and non-stimulants for ADHD via telehealth when clinically appropriate, under DEA telemedicine rules and Florida prescribing law. We do not promise a stimulant prescription at the first appointment. The first visit is a full ADHD evaluation, and the medication decision follows from that.
Q: What if I need a medication change between appointments? A: Message us through the patient portal or call the office. For urgent issues like a serious side effect, call us the same day and we will respond or schedule an earlier visit. For non-urgent changes, we usually handle it at your next scheduled follow-up, or move that follow-up sooner if needed.
Q: Do I need therapy as well as medication? A: Often, yes. Medication helps the biological side of most mental health conditions. Therapy addresses the coping, the patterns, and the events behind the symptoms. Many patients do best with both. We will tell you our honest read during your evaluation.