I was prescribed sertraline for anxiety and would like to renew my prescription. pcp is no longer working on the area. should i consult with another doctor about changing my medications or request the same prescription?

Depends on anxiety: If the sertraline has worked well for you in managing your anxiety, it would be fine to suggest to your new doctor that you'd like to continue with that same prescription. Either way, let your new doctor know about your history with anxiety, treatments you've tried, and recent symptoms you've had; that way, he or she will be able to give you the most appropriate recommendations moving forward.

New doc shd eval you: When you changed doctors for whatever reason, the new doctor should evaluate so he or she is confident that the meds being Rx are right for you.

See new MD: While Zoloft (sertraline) is often prescribed for anxiety, there are other drug choices available. Recommend that you schedule a consultation with a psychiatrist, who will have a wider range of drugs to choose from to manage your anxiety. Also, consider some CBT psychotherapy from a psychologist experienced in treating anxiety, as meds alone are not as effective as both combined. Good luck!

Referral question: It might be helpful to consult with a psychiatrist regarding your medication . Sometimes the PCP may not be as skilled with psychotropic mess as are psychiatrists. Whether to change medication depends on whether it is maximally effective for you. So that is something to discuss with a psychiatrist.

Most docs will renew: one SSRI on this basis, but they will also want to meet with you to make sure this is still appropriate, especially if they are new to your case. This is just good medicine. Did you run out of Zoloft before your PCP left? A lot of times a GP will take over the RX until you can meet with a specialist for anxiety (psychiatrist).

Why change?: If it is working with minimal side effects, why change. You should still have a physician follow you to monitor responses, side effects and optimize treatment. I wouldn't just stop without consulting a prescriber first in case you have problems off the med. There can be withdrawal coming off and relapses are common.