Hey everyone,
I need help finding an English-speaking psychiatrist to manage my psychiatric medications, particularly Concerta (methylphenidate) for ADHD and Clonazepam for anxiety. I will be moving to Hokkaido to the town of Kamikawa since I got a job there.
I’m looking for:
- English-speaking psychiatrists who can prescribe Concerta and Clonazepam (with the required special licenses; psychostimulant license for Concerta & psychotropic license for Clonazepam).
- A psychiatrist who accepts Japan’s National Health Insurance (NHI)
- Ideally, a psychiatrist who offers remote consultations (video or phone), as commuting between Hokkaido and major cities like Tokyo isn’t practical for me.
If you’ve been in a similar situation or know of any psychiatrists in Japan who fit this description, I would be extremely grateful for your advice or recommendations. I’ll still be in Tokyo for a week at the end of November, so I could meet a doctor in person if needed before heading to Hokkaido. If push comes to shove, I am also open to going to an English-speaking clinic in Tokyo that does not accept NHI and paying out of pocket as long as they offer remote services, albeit I am not sure if I will be able to afford it considering I'll be making minimum wage. I know Tokyo Mental Health Clinic & American Clinic Tokyo offer a subsidy program for those who pay out of pocket and I'm thinking that could be an option for me to look into.
I'm mainly worried about Concerta as that is a medication I take daily whereas for clonazepam, I only take it as needed. Additionally, I should add that I have already contacted three clinics in Tokyo with English-speaking services, including Yotsuya Yui Clinic, Dr. Morita at Higashi Shinjuku Kokorono no Clinic, and Dr. Matsunaga at Mejiro Sola Clinic, and unfortunately, none of these clinics were able to assist me because they don't offer remote/telemedicine services. If I do find a psychiatrist and/or doctor on Tokyo though, I'll be sure to ask for a 3 months supply – this is very helpful information that I received from another Reddit user.
Any help is appreciated!
by Sweet-Ad515