Medical management of ulcerative colitis (UC) and crohn's sisease (CD) is complex. While there is significant overlap in medical therapies used for UC and CD, there remain few distinct differences in their management. The overall goals of therapy are to achieve disease remission, prevent complications, decrease the need for surgical interventions, and restore patients' quality of life. In the current article, we discuss currently available therapies and their mechanisms, limitations and side effects, followed by a comprehensive discussion of key consideration points in regards to the medical management.