Stimulant medications for Attention Deficit Disorder have proven to be extremely effective and to have a very good safety record as well.  The most popular of these drugs is Ritalin (methylphenidate).  Other frequently prescribed medications include amphetamines such as Dexedrine, Adderall, and DextroStat.  A subspecialist, such as a neurologist or psychiatrist, might prescribe one of several other types of medications that are less frequently used.  If your child is continued on ADHD medication, please understand that the Federal and State governments tightly control the use of such medicine, called Schedule 2 Controlled Substances.  The following rules apply, and are not negotiable:

• When you find your child will soon be needing a refill, call our office a day or so before you intend to pick up the prescription.  The doctor will then write the prescription in advance for you.  We will not break away from seeing patients to fill out the prescription while you wait.
• Your child will be issued a prescription for no more than 30 days supply at each time.
• These prescriptions cannot be phoned, faxed, or mailed to the pharmacy.
• They must be filled within five days of the date the prescription was written, and they cannot be dated ahead.
• No refills are allowed; a new prescription must be written each month.
• Medication must be given only at home--it is never to be taken to school.
  
• Anticipate our office vacations; covering doctors cannot write a new prescription without first seeing your child, and you incurring an office visit charge.
• Spoiled prescription bottles must be returned to the pharmacy before a replacement prescription will be given.  A copy of the police report you filed must accompany requests for replacement of lost or stolen prescriptions.
• For us to continue writing prescriptions for your child, it will be necessary to have an office visit with us every 6 months at a minimum.
• The child must be made aware that any improvement in his school performance or behavior is their achievement alone, and is not because of the medicine.  Conversely, the child is responsible for bad grades and bad behavior, not the medicine.
• Your child must eat a decent breakfast before taking the morning dose of medication.  Preferably this meal should have some meat and/or eggs to keep the energy levels up through the entire school day.
• No alternative medications are allowed.  St. John's Wort, Echinacea, other herbal supplements, and homeopathic medications are a waste of your money, and may interfere with the prescribed medication.
• A newer Class III medication is recently available for ADHD called Strattera.  Unlike Class II medications, we can phone in these prescriptions and allow refills.  Your child must still be seen every six months at a minimum, and all of the other rules as listed above still apply.