ADHD Medication Education
Controlled Medication Education
In psychiatry, medicines such as stimulants (for ADHD), some sleep aids (like ambien and lunesta) and benzodiazepines (like klonopin and ativan for anxiety) are bound by special state and federal laws because they are more at risk for abuse and illicit sales. They are categorized as controlled substances by the DEA.
Here are some important standard policies for controlled medications:
● Lost or stolen medication cannot be replaced. Please be mindful to secure the medicine in your home and avoid traveling with more than is required. Medications are filled in consideration of your last pick up date. These dates are recorded by a government-operated prescription monitoring program. It is difficult to secure an early fill by the pharmacy and should be done sparingly as frequent early fill requests signal medication misuse and suspicious prescribing to regulatory bodies.
● If the pharmacy is out of the medicine it’s best to wait for it to come in. Using multiple pharmacies is considered a red flag by pharmacists and can increase scrutiny by regulatory bodies. We may instead change the tablet dosage (e.g., using half a 20mg tablet when 10mg tabs are out of stock) OR we may change the stimulant (e.g., dexedrine instead of adderall) in these situations.
● Prescriptions for controlled medications should be managed by one provider. Patients should also be on as few controlled medications as possible. Multiple prescriptions from different providers is a concern for misuse by regulatory bodies, pharmacies and providers.
● There are no dangerous withdrawals from stopping stimulant medication prescribed for ADHD. I encourage you to take breaks from your medication to avoid building tolerance. I encourage you to take the medication five out of seven days of the week provided your demands in life allow for that.
● Given the need to take breaks from the medicine, there shouldn’t be urgency if the pharmacy requires an extra few days to fill a prescription. This is a great opportunity to reset your body's sensitivity to the medication.
● Providers are required to work with city, state or federal law enforcement agencies if there is any concern for misuse, sale, or other sharing of controlled medicine. Providers are also monitored regularly and more recently, with the use of AI, for suspicious prescribing.
In psychiatry, medicines such as stimulants (for ADHD), some sleep aids (like ambien and lunesta) and benzodiazepines (like klonopin and ativan for anxiety) are bound by special state and federal laws because they are more at risk for abuse and illicit sales. They are categorized as controlled substances by the DEA.
Here are some important standard policies for controlled medications:
● Lost or stolen medication cannot be replaced. Please be mindful to secure the medicine in your home and avoid traveling with more than is required. Medications are filled in consideration of your last pick up date. These dates are recorded by a government-operated prescription monitoring program. It is difficult to secure an early fill by the pharmacy and should be done sparingly as frequent early fill requests signal medication misuse and suspicious prescribing to regulatory bodies.
● If the pharmacy is out of the medicine it’s best to wait for it to come in. Using multiple pharmacies is considered a red flag by pharmacists and can increase scrutiny by regulatory bodies. We may instead change the tablet dosage (e.g., using half a 20mg tablet when 10mg tabs are out of stock) OR we may change the stimulant (e.g., dexedrine instead of adderall) in these situations.
● Prescriptions for controlled medications should be managed by one provider. Patients should also be on as few controlled medications as possible. Multiple prescriptions from different providers is a concern for misuse by regulatory bodies, pharmacies and providers.
● There are no dangerous withdrawals from stopping stimulant medication prescribed for ADHD. I encourage you to take breaks from your medication to avoid building tolerance. I encourage you to take the medication five out of seven days of the week provided your demands in life allow for that.
● Given the need to take breaks from the medicine, there shouldn’t be urgency if the pharmacy requires an extra few days to fill a prescription. This is a great opportunity to reset your body's sensitivity to the medication.
● Providers are required to work with city, state or federal law enforcement agencies if there is any concern for misuse, sale, or other sharing of controlled medicine. Providers are also monitored regularly and more recently, with the use of AI, for suspicious prescribing.