Wellness Services

Medication Management

Prescribed when it is appropriate. Monitored because it matters who is watching.

Medication has changed what is achievable in weight management, and it has also created a market in which prescriptions are issued after a form and a photograph. The clinical work is not the prescription. It is deciding whether medication is appropriate for you, choosing which one, adjusting it as your body responds, and noticing the things that need noticing along the way.

That is the part this practice does. Dr. Curtis is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, and medication here is prescribed inside a program rather than instead of one.

How suitability is decided

Whether medication is appropriate depends on your medical history, the medications you already take, your personal and family history, and what your assessment showed. Some patients are not candidates. Some are, but should start elsewhere. Both of those are answers you may get here, and they are given in person.

What monitoring actually involves

Patients on medication are seen more frequently, particularly early on while dosing is being established. Visits cover tolerance and side effects, whether the response is what was expected, and whether anything in your broader health has shifted alongside it.

Nutrition support runs in parallel rather than afterwards. Medication changes appetite; it does not decide what you eat, and preserving muscle while weight comes down depends on protein and activity that have to be planned for deliberately.

What we will not tell you

How much weight you will lose, or how quickly. Response to these medications varies substantially between individuals, and any figure quoted to you in advance — here or anywhere else — is a marketing number rather than a clinical one.

Offered for

Insulin resistance
Weight that has not responded to nutrition and activity alone
Weight affecting other medical conditions

Questions about Medication Management

Can I get a prescription without an in-person visit?

No. Deciding whether medication is appropriate requires a history, an examination and, in most cases, labs. A prescription issued without those is not a clinical judgement.

What if I have side effects?

Tell us — that is what the follow-up schedule is for. Most side effects are manageable with a change in dose or timing, and some warrant stopping. Either way, the decision is made with the physician who prescribed it.

Do I stay on medication indefinitely?

That is a decision made over time, with you. Chronic weight management is often long-term care, and stopping is a clinical conversation rather than a milestone.

Is medication covered by insurance?

Coverage for weight management medication varies widely between plans and changes often. We will tell you what we know about your plan, but the payer decides, and we will not guess at it for you.