Gerard I. Fernando, MD

About Gerard Iru Fernando, M.D.
Dr. Fernando is a board certified psychiatrist who specializes in addiction psychiatry. After completing medical school, he finished his residency at Harvard South Shore and his addiction psychiatry fellowship at Boston University.

He has recently joined Psychiatric Wellness Center as the Medical Director of Addiction Services. He has experience in political advocacy regarding harm reduction practices and quality improvement projects involving substance use disorders, in particular, opioid use disorder. He currently primarily works at Bakersfield Behavioral Health Hospital and Psychiatric Wellness Center.

Dr. Fernando can help by prescribing non-addictive medications that can treat the underlying disorder. Often times, an individual may be trying to self-medicate an underlying psychiatric disorder with substances. Dr. Fernando can also specifically prescribe medications to individuals with addiction andor physical dependent to opioids, such as hydrocodone Norco or Vicodin, oxycodone Percocet, heroin or fenantyl; alcohol, and benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam Xanax, clonazepam Klonopin or lorazepam Ativan. For opioids, he has experience in prescribing buprenorphinenaloxone Suboxone and intramuscular naltrexone Vivitrol. In order to start intramuscular naltrexone, an individual needs to be 7 days opioid free, which can difficult for some to achieve. Dr. Fernando can work with you to obtain those days of sobriety. For alcohol, Dr. Fernando has experience in prescribing naltrexone orally or intramuscularly Vivitrol, acamprosate Campral and disulfiram Antabuse.