Syracuse, New York
Medication Management in Syracuse
Syracuse stacks the nation's heaviest urban snowfall on top of Central New York's psychiatrist shortage, and the result is predictable: gray months that feed depression and waitlists that outlast the winter. Care should not require driving on lake effect mornings. That's what unmanaged medication looks like, and it's fixable. shrinkMD delivers real medication stewardship to Syracuse: board certified clinicians, measured follow up, and visits that fit your actual schedule.
Medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA, board certified psychiatrist · Published June 7, 2026 · Last reviewed July 7, 2026 · Editorial policy
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Why shrinkMD
Care built around Syracuse
From Eastwood to Fayetteville to Baldwinsville, visits happen by video from home, with no winter driving, no parking, and no months on a list, and the same clinician every visit through the seasons.
We bill no insurance, fees are flat and published, and seasonal depressive patterns are a particular local focus, measured visit to visit with PHQ-9 scores.
What's included
Stewardship, visit by visit
Good prescribing is a feedback loop. At each visit your clinician reviews your validated symptom scores, your side effects, and your sleep, then adjusts a single variable so cause and effect stay readable. While starting or changing medication that loop runs every two to four weeks; once you're doing well it relaxes to every one to three months.
Your full trial history, names, doses, durations, responses, lives in your chart from day one, so failed experiments never get repeated. Prescriptions go electronically to your pharmacy, monitoring labs are arranged through your local clinic when a medication requires them, and your primary care doctor stays in the loop with your permission. No controlled substances, stated plainly before you ever book.
Keep exploring
Care and next steps in Syracuse
Frequently asked questions
Good questions, clear answers
What happens to appointments during lake effect storms?
Nothing: they happen anyway, because you are already home. Weather has cancelled exactly none of our Syracuse visits.
Do you see university students and staff?
Adults 18 and older, yes, including graduate students whose funding stress and isolation we know well.
How do labs work with a telehealth practice?
We coordinate orders through your local clinic or lab, lithium levels, metabolic panels, thyroid checks, and review results together. Telehealth changes the visit, not the monitoring standard.
Can you take over prescriptions from my previous provider?
Usually yes, for non controlled medications, after an evaluation and records review. Switching shouldn't mean starting over or missing a refill.
Do you prescribe stimulants or benzodiazepines?
No, anywhere. We're upfront about it before you book, and skilled with the non controlled options the evidence supports.
About Syracuse
Syracuse is a Central New York medical and university hub home to Syracuse University and SUNY Upstate Medical University. It's home to about 145,000 people in the city and more than 650,000 across the metro area. The people we see here include students, hospital staff, working families, and professionals.
Serving Syracuse
Syracuse is a Central New York city at the historic crossroads of the Erie Canal, and reaching a psychiatrist here shouldn't take a long drive. shrinkMD sees adults across Syracuse by secure video, whether you're near Armory Square, Clinton Square, and the Erie Canal Museum. You keep the same clinician each visit, with no commute and no waiting room.
What it costs
Transparent, published pricing
Our self-pay prices are the same in every state where we practice. No insurance billing, and no surprise statement later.
| Service | Self-pay price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Initial evaluation | From $295 | A full 50 to 60 minute evaluation, diagnosis, and written plan. |
| Follow-up visits | $110 to $215 | Per visit, depending on length and complexity. Member rates are lower. |
| Membership (optional) | $49 per month | Priority scheduling, member rates, and the Unstuck and QuitScrolling apps. First month free. |
Your care team
Who you will see
Your care is delivered by shrinkMD clinicians, and you keep the same one over time. You meet by secure video with a clinician licensed in your state.
- Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA, founder and board certified psychiatrist (ABPN), dual board certified in psychiatry and in sports and performance psychiatry.
- Matthew George, PMHNP-BC, ANP-BC, dual board certified psychiatric nurse practitioner with more than two decades of clinical experience.
Related reading
More from a trusted source: Mental health medications - MedlinePlus.
Nearby areas
Medication Management in nearby New York cities
Your next step in The Shrink Network
You are here: shrinkMD, the clinical care layer of The Shrink Network.
Each site in the network has one job. No matter where you enter, we help you find the next step that makes sense.
Get clinical care with shrinkMD
Want to understand more first?
Start medication management in Syracuse
Call 1-877-747-4656 now, appointments are available as soon as availability allows for Syracuse residents, by secure video from home.
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