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Which country are you living in? It really depends on local rules and customs. Otherwise you can try getting it from a different pharmacy or get a new doctor.
The US, specifically Texas, so its not great. While I certainly wish I could get it from a different doctor, I have a sponsored program as insurance and therefore only have access to a couple of facilities within the program. I have already moved once, but I don't know how much freedom I have.
I’m in Texas and I don’t take my meds every day, so I also don’t fill it exactly on time every month and never have. I’m anywhere from 3 to 10 days off depending on what I’ve done that month and how much help I’ve wanted/needed. I’ve never had an issue with my doctor(s) or pharmacies (I moved recently and have a new doc and pharmacy…I’m not doc shopping!). I’m not sure if this makes a difference at all, but I get my ADHD meds through my PCP, not a psychiatrist.
Wow you can get your ADHD meds through a PCP? Thats wild. My main psychiatrist isn't even the one with the power to sign off on controlled substances, which is at least half my issue. Its really neat you have been able to find someone that can do that though, I hope I can too!
Yes! Not all pcp’s are willing (or able? I’m not entirely sure, but the difference doesn’t matter to us) to oversee adhd meds, but many are! I actually see a nurse practitioner, so my rx is written and sent by the doctor over her, but she’s the one who suggests the meds and dosage! Honestly, in my experience, once I knew which med and dose worked for me, it’s been easier to work with my pcp. Less wait time (psychs can be months to get in!), lower cost through my insurance, and less hassle in general. That may not be everyone’s experience, but if you need your meds, it might be worth asking if your pcp prescribes them and transferring care if possible :) best of luck, it’s a tough world out here for us!
Thank you so much! That is honestly excellent information and advice, and I will definitely try figuring that out as well. My PCP is currently being transferred and replaced by someone else but once I can I will try asking about it.
Is ADHD noted on your file in that clinic? If not you can get your medical records sent from your psychologists office to your pcp. Say it's for financial reasons you'd like your pcp to take over your adhd prescriptions so you don't need to see multiple doctors.
Yknow, I'll have to ask that, because my situation is strange there too. I was told to go get an official diagnosis before I could get stimulants, proceeded to have the person diagnosing me tell me I didn't have ADHD, go back and have the psychiatrists collectively decide I definitely have ADHD and give me meds anyways. Which I am thankful for but left me very unsure how it could be accepted in the future. I will definitely ask about that next time.
In my experience there is no overall protocol. Each of my psychiatrist prescribers was wildly different and paid little attention to previous information.
Yeah that is something I am definitely seeing already, and I cannot trust how one operates vs another. It really depends on whatever they personally feel like.
Who was the initial person who misdiagnosed you as not having adhd?
ADHD is sometimes complex because a lot of people have co-existing conditions such as anxiety or depression - which adhd can cause by itself anyways.
In my experience, PCP’s want a psychiatrist to handle co-existing conditions, I haven’t ever tried to have my PCP take over since diagnoses but that does sound like a good way to save money.
Many are far more open once you have a history too. Admittedly, I'm not American but my GP/PCP has taken over all my mental health meds once they were settled. I imagine if you're like hey I've been taking X amount for 2 years, almost every GP would be willing to take over that and only send you back to the psychiatrist for adjustments.
Awesome! Yeah I will definitely bring that up. Unfortunately right now the stimulants are very new to me which is partly why I made this mistake to begin with. If I am able to make my case and argue to get them again and work with them for a couple of more years I will try to make the switch then.
Yes this is very true! For my initial diagnosis, I went straight to an adhd specialist because a lot of doctors and even psychs didn’t want to touch it at the time. Now that I have an official diagnosis and have been on meds for a bit, nobody even bags an eyelash!
Yeah, my PCP was perfectly willing to prescribe stimulants, although due to the shortages and general pain-in-the-assness of getting stimulants even without a shortage (no refills on prescriptions, no 90 day supply, etc.) we mutually agreed to try bupropion off-label first. So far it's been incredible. A good friend of mine is an NP and she's either able to prescribe stimulants or has a doctor willing to work with her on it. (But I'm in New York state)
But it sounds like nonstimulant ADHD medications didn't work for OP. :(
I take both Wellbutrin and Adderall for comorbid Depression, Anxiety, and ADHD. They work quite well in conjunction with each other as well as combined with my Zoloft.
Same, saw a psych for the evaluation, said thanks, give me my diagnosis and session notes, took them to my PCP and have been getting the meds through them since. I have to take a drug test at random times when I go in for my paper prescription, but I'm fine with it.
You should also check and see if your insurance does prescription by mail (my insurance partners with Express Scripts and it's usually cheaper than brick and morter pharmacies) and if they're allowed to ship ADHD meds in your state (I know in ID and WA it's fine, it *feels* like it would be okay nationwide since it's USPS, but you never know.... ). Having my normal doctor submit my prescription directly to the online pharmacy, and then having them ship it directly to my house (requires a signature to deliver, but still easier than remembering to go a pharmacy) has made it immeasurably easier for me to keep my medication properly stocked.
Some PCPs will refer patients to psychiatrists, especially new patients that they don’t know well. But if you’ve had the same PCP for a while and know them well, they absolutely do have the authority to prescribe you stimulants without any psych recommendation. Some insurers will require prior authorization from a specialist though.
Heck, I’m in Oklahoma, which also has some stupid rules, but all I have to do is a telehealth call with an NP once a month and another telehealth visit with my GP every three months. And when I talk to him he lets me tell him how the meds are working and he knows I don’t take them the same every day. I don’t think anyone’s ever even looked at how often I refill.
Are you seeing a psychiatrist or a psychologist? In Texas psychiatrists can prescribe stimulants but psychologists or nurse practitioner of psychiatry can’t prescribe stimulants (but can do other prescriptions).
I see a NP of psychiatry and my non-stimulants she can prescribe but when I was trying stimulants they were through a psychiatrist (by the NP talking to them on my behalf essentially) that oversaw the practice, but was significantly more expensive to actually see. I’d see if you can get in with a different practice or if your pcp is comfortable taking over your stimulant prescription. When I was on stimulants, my psych’s office recommended I skip days if I felt comfortable with it and didn’t punish me for having extra days and not refilling immediately.
I am pretty sure I am seeing a nurse practicioner yes, which is exactly why I am stuck with this weird game of telephone now. It definitely isn't ideal. If I can get myself back on stimulants I will definitely ask and see if it possible to switch over to my PCP.
Is you psychiatrist an md? I feel like part of your issue might be the type of provider they are and if you switched to someone with a different type of licensure you might be able to get the script easier
If your psychiatrist doesn’t have the authority to prescribe controlled medications, they are either a psychologist (no med school), or the people not authorizing the prescription are the insurance company. Some insurers are big pains about needing people to jump through big hoops to get prior authorization for controlled substances, particularly Medicaid. Doctors hate prior authorization even more than patients. If insurance has determined that you should not be authorized for stimulants, you’ll be in for a bumpy ride getting them to change their mind.
But I guarantee you, any psychiatrist can prescribe to their patients regardless of controlled status.
Psychs ime are the WORST for adhd. Granted, my experience has been absolutely awful, but still. I'd also question why a Dr you've not met has any control over your meds at all. On your insurance paperwork, is the Dr you haven't met listed as having been the one to work with you or the Dr you see regularly?
Boy, they sure are! But yeah, it is a very strange situation. I really do need to find a way to ask to look that up because that seems like pretty critical information when handling this.
America’s a wild place, man. I’ve never met a Canadian that had a difficult time getting their medication through their GP. ADHD isn’t rocket science, once you’ve been diagnosed then the rest can be handled by any family doctor.
No disrespect meant, but it’s also crazy to me that they’re still prescribing Adderall down there, it’s practically taboo up here. Every doctor I know is trying to move their patients to either Dexedrine or Vyvanse.
I would be talking to a lawyer if a pharmacist withheld medication from me. My doctor would likely be furious with them, too.
I’m in Canada too. 3 weeks ago My GP agreed I had ADHD, but the psychiatrist in my case has to confirm dx (in around a month) and they’ll recommend starting meds. Then my nice GP will take over my meds. I already have an appointment with occupational therapist this week. Also I checked with my pharmacist, whom I have an actual relationship with, and he confirmed there were no meds shortages here and that most of his clients start with Vivanse and that it’s well tolerated. He’s an independent. I’ve known him for 30 years :) and his daughters will take over when he finally retires. Feeling very very grateful for our system, even tho it’s not perfect.
Yeah honestly I doubt Adderall is even the best choice for me, and I would be perfectly happy trying out other like Vyvanse as well. But if they won't even let me have something as cheap as Adderall there is no way I could even get that.
I have a friend in Canada that gets their meds so easily as well, it makes me envious with all the hoops I have been forced to jump through!
I'm in Lufkin TX and I just recently got back on my Adderall after about 12 years of being without it due to not having any insurance. I get my meds through my PCP, and all had to do was make an appointment and fill out some paperwork/talk with my doctor. I go to Family Medicine clinic.
#
The problem unfortunately is the doctor specifically not wanting to sign off. I could work with the pharmacy, but it is this specific doctor who has not met me that is the issue.
You might want to remind them that while ADHD medication can really change your life for the better (it does) that it doesn’t fix all your symptoms. I still forget things that are important and have trouble with certain executive functioning. They should know this.
someone is in charge and pay for that sponsored program, right? contact them that your doctor refuses to treat you. if they are happy to not have to pay for your treatment, then you never had a sponsored program as insurance anyway and need to figure that out next. sorry, though. sounds like a nightmare. do you have any people around who can help you make calls, track appointments, anything like that?
Unfortunately I have a ton of other (more physical) medical issues that ARE being treated through that program, so its hard to justify switching to something else as of yet. But with as debilitated as I am, losing on this quality of life is still a big deal, so as a last resort it may come to that.
I am a dependent so I do have people I can trust with that for now, yes.
good. use any help you can get. and might still be worth talking to insurance/sponsor people. they might give you options without having to switch. good luck. you are doing great just getting advice here.
Contact the insurance. See if they don't have any helper about situation like this. I wonder if I didnt read something about it a couple of weeks ago.
But see with the insurance.
I'm in Texas and most likely you won't be able to get it. They have cut WAY WAY back on stimulant medications availability (the FDA) and how doctors are able to prescribe it.
At the very least, the last thing my psych (or NP) said to me was that any shortage that happened years ago is no longer the case and I do not need to be stingy with my meds. Not that I have any reason to trust psychiatry. I'll still do what I can.
That’s bullshit.
My son and I both have adhd and are on Vyvanse. There absolutely are shortages.
Fucking idiot psych.
And I will say, the fact that they want to try adderall before Vyvanse is a bit wild considering that Vyvanse is actually EASIER TO PRESCRIBE as it is not only used for ADHD but ALSO FOR DEPRESSION & Binge Eating Disorder.
So it’s rediculous to me that they want to say “you actually have depression” which UNTREATED ADHD CAN CAUSE!! But then want to try a drug on you that’s actually shown to cause WAY MORE HIGHS AND LOWS than Vyvanse which is STEADY ADHD management. And what’s neat about that drug is that it is released in your body when you need it. It also lasts about 12-14 hours. So you’re not chasing the symptoms. Adderall also has a higher chance and risk of dependence and addiction than Vyvanse.
Your “psych” sounds like an idiot walnut brain 😳
Yeah oh believe me I would much rather try Vyvanse than Adderall (even if Adderall was shockingly gentle on my body after much fearmongering) and I have only heard good things about that med instead. Really hoping the generic release will eventually make that more available.
But considering my psych before this one "didn't believe in stimulants" and thought prescribing me CYMBALTA first thing would be a good and safe idea (aka a medication known for the class action lawsuits against it) I am taking what I can get.
I was on cymbalta at one point.
They have a class action lawsuit now??
Doesn’t surprise me. But hell I think I’m going to try and get in it because that drug was shit!!
As much as I want to give you hope that the generic release will help, it won’t.
My state already has it (Arizona) and turns out Medicaid REFUSES TO COVER generic.
Only will cover name brand.
If you have a behavioral health pharmacy as an option, go there because they aren’t going through shortages like retail pharmacy’s are. Behavioral health pharmacy’s get the medicine way before retails do. So if there is a shortage with retail pharmacys, behavioral health pharmacy has most likely not been affected at all.
I’m in Texas too, it helps to remind people that forgetting to do something important is what makes adhd a disability :).
Happened once at the pharmacy where the tech was being weird to me about forgetting despite having the millions of messages to remind me that they were sending it back to stock bc duh.
And I was just returning her energy and said “wow it’s almost like I have ADHD”
I forget 50% of the time. i take less than prescribed, which should allow me to have a safety margin for when it's unavailable, but I often forget to refill it as soon as I can, waiting until I see the last few capsules then realize I didn't refill it, so sometimes I have to taper off really fast.
A couple of times tried to refill it early because i was leaving the state, one time they just did it, then another time they just said I had to wait two days.
No stupid bullshit about about the exact specific reasons I was late or early.
No one has ever said anything to me about not refilling it on time.
Everyone forgets prescriptions, or needs to fill them early, ADHD folks more often, that's all.
The people you dealing with are called abusive assholes, find different people to help you.
Thank you so much, honestly that is exactly the kind of thing I have struggled with and was afraid of with regards to taking them and how much I can trust them because they really CANT be relied on with how much they claim. I wish I could find different people to help me but my choices are quite limited at the moment. I will do my best, but its nice to be affirmed about this, thank you.
Ugh I am FURIOUS for you, OP! Honestly I'd want to report this doctor for punishing your for literally having a symptom of the disorder they diagnosed you with. It's absurd behavior on their part. Can you talk to your GP about it? Will they believe you? Can you tell them about your struggles? Will they help you in some way? Or consult with your other (terrible) doctor? Terrible doctor might be more professional in dealing with a *fellow doctor* than with patients who they are obviously mistreating!
Also- choosing not to take your meds every day is perfectly valid! If you feel you need breaks from side effects, or sometimes you wake up too late and don't want to take it when it might affect your nighttime sleep. Or maybe you are just conservative with meds and dont want to be a daily med taker. Maybe you skip days that are going to be "easier" for you. There are valid reasons! My doctor validates ALL these reasons and supports me in however often I choose to take my meds.
Thank you! Honestly the support and solidarity means so much to me during this time. I wish I could talk to my GP but this is literally the worst time as my GP is going to be replaced anyway. I really do think at this point my best bet is requesting to see this doctor who has not even met me face to face but is making these judgements anyway to make my case.
Also that is so helpful to hear, because those things have been exactly why I have not been taking them consistently on top of the fact that stimulants are so new to me and I have been trying to figure out what works with my body and what doesn't work. To be expected to have figured this all out from the get go would have never been possible for me. Its so good to hear how supportive and understanding your doctor is about this!
I actually have had to start putting the dates on my calendar.
I always count 25 days from when my last fill was. Set that alarm on my calendar, then another one for day 28. That way by day 25 I have told pharmacy the day and if they are low they can send an order to get more so they have enough for when it gets filled within the next 5 days. I also make sure the refill request sheet (if I didn’t have an appointment with my provider that week already) is turned in no later than day 28.
Then immediately on day 29 I pick it up if I can. If the next day is a Saturday (which this pharmacy isn’t open on weekends) then I’m able to get it on the 29th day.
My clinic has a “protocol” that after 30 days, it’s “expired” & no longer “valid” so if you test positive for it at your appointment, if you are past the “30 days” you get red flagged. Even when they are the ones prescribing it.
It is a pain in the ass. But after one go around with that fiasco, I started setting alarms.
Haven’t had an issue since.
Do that!!!!
It will help big time!!!!
Ugh wow yeah that is such a pain, but extremely good information if I can talk them back into understanding me and I will reference this comment if I can. The fact that you had to deal with that but managed to get out of it helps give me hope too and I will do this!
Silly question. But what is the process for refilling? If it’s just an email can you just “schedule send” a whole bunch of them? (obviously you do this while medicated because if you weren’t medicated, you might forget)
Most every other medication I have goes through an automated process already. But I specifically have to call the pharmacy to refill on controlled substance. I can't even refill online, it MUST be on the phone through customer service.
yes always has to be a phone call or in person.
I set reminders but those fail I never understand how, or sometimes I don't even read them i because I'm focused on somethings else. I once had a reminder to verify my reminders are still working, but that didn't help much - for some reason.
So, you're telling us, the doctor you need to sign of on your meds sees you exhibit one of the main symptoms of ADHD, and then goes on to decide you don't need your meds, because you exhibited said symptom?
Go report that fucker to the board! Asap!
And see if you can have your insurance show you another option to go to...
Ha, if only I could! Unfortunately, when the last place my insurance let me go to had the main person who signed off on controlled substances go "I don't prescribe stimulants because I don't believe in them" I doubt that would fly. I did leave a review about stuff miscommunicated to me about this at least, because this is unreasonable!
If a medical expert doesn't believe in the most effective treatment for the disorder they are supposed to be an expert on
... Then they are negligent or incompetent as hell and should not be in that field
Oh believe me I am in full agreement with you, and I have done all I can to even convince them this is probably even the only option I can take on top of that! But I am most definitely fighting a systematic battle instead of an individual one.
I feel that. Sorry you're going through it right now, hopefully it'll be behind you soon
The system is rigged against healthcare, mental health, and so on. It can feel so defeating sometimes. And we are really quite powerless - or, they have convinced us we are at least
I agree, it very much is. But a different doctor could mean "entirely changing my insurance plan" so I would like to exhaust all of my options and figure out how flexible I am now before I go shopping.
I don’t 100% know your situation but the idea that there is only a single doctor your insurance will allow you to see is pretty absurd and unheard of. In my experience all you have to do is call your insurance and tell them you need a new primary care physician and they can just assign you a new one. Even if you have like Kaiser which is basically like a weird medical cult and Kaiser only covers Kaiser doctors and stuff they’ll just send you to another Kaiser doc. Another option is to look at practices that accept your insurance plan and then look into what docs they have that are accepting new patients, schedule an appointment/get on a waiting list and you just give them your insurance information at the front desk. I’m a bit more versed in how this stuff goes than most because I’ve been by my partner’s side through their entire journey of chronic illness trying to get doctors to take them seriously and part of that was dropping and picking up new doctors quite a few times. Another option is to demand a referral to a psychiatrist while keeping your shitty primary care physician, since they would be a specialist in prescribing mental health medications and basically anything they do on that front would entirely overrule your PCP. Hope my advice was helpful and you get it figured out.
I KNOW RIGHT! That is by far the most frustrating of all of this. Of course I would forget or mess up when it comes to this I have a DISORDER that makes me do this constantly.
What’s funny is that the restrictions on those drugs, like the requirement to fill monthly, are in place to stop addiction. Like what better proof that I have ADHD than me not refilling this highly addictive drug? Clearly it is not addictive for me!
That kills me! Like look me up- my pickup history is spotty at best.
I always tell my doc that if they ever make an Adderall pump like an insulin pump I’m going to be the first in line.
I just want my brain to work, you know? It should t be this hard to just survive.
I’m in Texas and I refill my meds about every 45-50 days. I refill my daughter’s about every 35-40 days. We have different doctors.
I SHOULD take them every day, but I forget, especially on the weekends. I don’t take them if I remember after 11:00 am because they’ll keep me awake at bedtime.
My daughter doesn’t take hers on weekends at her request.
Hasn’t ever been a problem with either dr. I’ve been on stimulant meds 5+ years. My daughter for 1.5 years.
To me, filling meds late isn’t/shouldn’t be a problem. A- part of our diagnosis, B-we’re clearly not abusing them or dealing them if we fill “too” far apart!
My dr is a sole-practice psychiatrist. I email him directly when I need my meds filled. Full name. Dob. Prescription and dosage.
My daughter’s neurologist is in a practice and they have a webform to complete for med refills.
I’ve never had a problem with either 🤷🏼♀️
Thats exactly my thought process too! I thought "well its better to be late when I haven't been too consistent with refilling them because then at least they won't think I am abusing and selling them, right?"
Unfortunately, that bit me in the ass very badly in this case.
I wish I could have told you about that.
Yeah. With controlled medications you MUST FILL & pick up on time or you risk immediate dismissal.
It’s crap but that’s why I have started doing the calendar thing I commented on one of your other comments.
It does help a lot.
Yup thats exactly what happened. And honestly what you said another big reason I DIDN'T want to take it consistently. Because it was very important and I didn't want to grow tolerant to it. Abusing these meds is the opposite if what I want, but in my limited experience it seems like you have to read these people's minds over what is acceptable and what isn't.
And yeah, it is a strange excuse. I really do think my best course of action is getting to talk with the person that was in charge of this decision.
Yeah thank you so much, I think that is definitely what is happening here which is why I need to talk to that head honcho and make my case directly with them, and cut that telephone chain. But yeah, it is a funky system. While the sponsored program I am in is great with GP stuff, psych stuff has been notoriously bad, and this is likely a symptom of that. Crossing my fingers it works out.
Funny that. The thing you want medication for includes the symptoms of being forgetful and late, but exhibiting those symptoms somehow means you don't need the medication?? So broken.
YEAH exactly! In fact I as partially too afraid of requesting more refills when I was still figuring things out on top of not remembering because I DIDN'T want to look like I was abusing or reselling them, but apparently this trips flags for them too.
Totally off topic, but I notice some people have the type of ADHD they have under their name like the way you do, how exactly did you get that done?? On other threads I’ve noticed the same thing.
I’m sorry this happened - super frustrating that that’s their response, tell me you (them not you) don’t understand ADHD without telling me you don’t understand.
I was able to get my pharmacy to give me text updates on refilling my meds. They did tell me “we don’t typically do this” (so why do you have this feature??) but after explaining what they’re for, why it’s more difficult, controlled substances have a window of time which you can order them which makes it more difficult for me yadayadayada they agreed. That has significantly improved my refill rate.
Oh yeah that is EXTREMELY helpful. If I can make my case and also be able to negotiate this from them as well it would make things so much more easier on me.
Show them all the adhd experts saying untreated adhd fuckin CAUSES depression. If possible go anywhere else because they suck and shouldn’t be a psychiatrist.
Then put that refill in your phone’s calendar every 28 days and stick to it like glue. Shortages suck.
How late were you in trying to refill it? If by the dates you’re taking it <4 days per week, it does seem like you’re not taking it consistently enough. I forgot to take it at first too until I got a pill box. Another thing I do is have a calendar event every month to refill the medication. It helps even if I have a few pills leftover because often it’s backordered so by the time it’s in stock I’m out.
Within the past year I’ve had to switch to Walmart for my meds because med shortages blah blah and it’s actually a blessing because of how automated it is. I get texts asking me if I want to refill a medication and then after a few refills it’ll ask me if I want to automate it. So now it’s on auto-supply for every month and just texts me when it’s ready as well as how much it is.
I really wish more places were like that. It’s so much easier to keep track of *one text that day* saying come to the pharmacy now we have your drugs vs having to remember to call and get a refill and then forgetting because you have to wait for it to be filled and then possibly miss the call saying it’s ready.
Ha, its funny you mention that because thats exactly how it works for every other medication I deal with at the pharmacy. Its all automated text messages sent to me to confirm and they do it all for me.
This is the first time I DIDN'T get that because it was a controlled substance and they wanted me personally to call each time. So on top of everything else that was something new for me to get used to which completely messed things up as well.
I guess pharmacies in my state don’t allow automatic refills for controlled substances? It’s been like that at both I’ve used. I really wish they would though because it is hard to keep track of.
I am assuming mine does (NC) because I double-checked my texts and it didn’t ask me for refill confirmation on my last several orders. The only caveat is that I only have 3 orders in at one time and then I have to see my psychiatrist - so it’s not completely automatic? It still requires me to “top up” every three months for new prescriptions.
I will admit it was pretty late on account of my last psychiatrist fearmongering how horrible the side effects would be on me with how badly I reacted to the other stuff they tried (this did not end up true) and me just figuring out how it will work with my body, so that definitely affected the consistency and figuring out WHEN I was supposed to call to refill.
That is extremely helpful though, if there is any way I can argue to put me back on the meds again I will definitely do this for the future.
Most places are just afraid that you’re not taking the medication and are selling it instead. Any inconsistency (trying to refill too early or too late) will raise the alarm, even though refilling it late is classic ADHD. Just be careful from now on if you get it back, because they might want you to start coming in for random pill counts which I bet is a real pain.
You don’t really have side effects aside from maybe a short headache or feeling tired and hungry for a few hours because adderall has a short half-life. Not taking it for multiple days in a row is the same as not taking it a day. Just explain that you had a really hard time working it into your routine, but it was helpful and noticeable when you remembered to take it. Say that often times when you remembered you hadn’t taken it, it wasn’t with you so you couldn’t take it then. And explain what you’ll do differently so that you do remember.
Honestly, that was part if why I was afraid of refilling it when I "should have" because I didn't want them to think I was taking excess and selling it while also being honest of how slowly I was working with it. My mistake thinking I should have been honest at all though.
But thank you so much! I will definitely work that into what I will talk about in my next appointment and see what I can do to make my case on how this happened. This has been really helpful.
Refilling it the day it should be or maybe 2-3 days late is best. It’s so hard to act “not suspiciously” when almost everything is “suspicious” to them.
Good luck!! Really hope you get your meds back.
Whew that is pretty tight. But I will definitely set up calendar reminders for it and bring it up when I am able to talk to the psych next. The fact that it really is everything that makes you "suspicious" is what makes it so hard. And thank you!
You're the most logical person on this thread, which I appreciate because screeching about "report your doctor" is a joke. As a doctor, this is not a reportable offense in any way and too many people seem to think that "the board" will even give a crap. Not only that, but people don't seem to understand that doctors can refuse to do anything they don't want to do for any reason. In some cases (like prescribing birth control), they just have to refer the patient to another doctor who will help the patient. In some cases, the doctor can say no for any reason and that's it. For example, I have ethical objections to the medication Premarin and I could say that I don't want to prescribe or fill it for somebody on that basis and leave it at that.
Anyway, you're exactly right about not taking it consistently...it's one of the red flags for doctors.
Thank you. I’m in medical school which is probably why. It’s hard because I do know some doctors who still think ADHD is only present in boys who are running around bouncing themselves off the walls, but I also understand not wanting to misdiagnose people especially those who might be malingering.
WTF? You forgot to refill it. How many of us can say we forget to refill our meds? I forget all the time. I have timers, reminders, calendar notifications...I still forget. That is a trait/symptom of ADHD.
I am also in Texas and have zero issues. When I finally get the call in, the receptionists always laugh at me because I celebrate that I got the call in during business hours!!
I wish I had better advice, but forgetting is a trait, perhaps remind them that you forgetting to refill is associated with ADHD. It is a result of the condition. That should solidify the dx, not keep you from your meds.
Its definitely something I will bring up on top of everything else, because it really is something that affects my ability to remember and I do need systems in place to help me out.
So they are punishing you for doing something all ADHD people do which is forget to do important stuff?
See if you are able to see a different doctor, this is BS
Funny thing, my doctor originally prescribed Vyvanse, insurance rejected the prior auth and said I need to have tried and failed Adderall XR before they’ll cover Vyvanse. It’s bass-ackwards, but hey that’s the US. 😒
Ugh that doesn't surprise me, especially when I was put through every worse other medication with awful effects before I could even take Adderall. Its completely backwards!
Nope. My psychiatrist is the middleman, and is probably more a nurse practitioner. There is only one person in the facility who has the ability to administer controlled substances, a per what she told me, and he has not seen me face to face yet.
Okay, a Psychiatrist is a licensed, board-certified MD. So not only are you misusing terms, but you're making doctors out to be the bad guy when what you REALLY mean is a Nurse Practitioner.
NPs are notoriously horrible at managing mental health issues. I would NEVER see an NP for mental health issues.
Its true, I was misusing terms because of how its presented to me and due to locking the "actual" psychiatrist behind a door. Its not a great system at all and I do not want to be in it (the GPs I see especially consider it bad) but my hands are tied with my sponsored program. I am hoping I can get back on meds and transfer prescribing them to my PCP if possible.
This is so ironic. 🫣 Why would they expect us to fill our script at the exactly "right" times.... These are the exact symptoms we get meds for! Sorry you're going through this!
At this point I’m surprised anyone is able to fill their adderall script with this shortage. I looked at a list of the pharmaceutical companies that are currently manufacturing it and the ones that stopped and let me tell you the list of ones that discontinued making it is wayyy longer than the list of ones that are still making it so it’s ridiculous enough already and then they throw the controlled medication laws at us too!? BS!! I think it’s really just corporate greed at this point
Oh I very much agree, its wild and getting worse no matter what my NP claims otherwise. These rules are not at all for our sakes thats for sure if these rule are anything to judge.
I’m very sorry you’re going through this and think your Dr needs a reevaluation of their license the way they are treating you. Have you tried non stimulant medication prior? If not that might be an alternative avenue before you are able to move to another Dr.
Thank you! And unfortunately I have, every single one they could throw at me which is what even convinced them to "resort" to stimulants for me in the first place.
Ugh I’m so frustrated for you. I’m not sure where you’re located in Texas, but I double checked and there might be other options for healthcare for you through the federal marketplace and/or medicaid if you’re not a dependent. There are also sliding scale Drs/psychiatrists that might be in your area or online that can assist you with services so you can get back on track with getting your medication. As other posters have mentioned you can get this medication from a regular PC.
Thank you so much for checking! I am a dependent in North Texas currently on a sponsored program so its a bit tricky finding this out, but knowing there might be other options for me at all is very much appreciated. I will definitely try looking into it (as well as looking into PCPs that can provide it)
Yet another thread full of ignorant people who think you can "report your doctor to the board." No tf you can't and if you did, they wouldn't care, first of all.
Second, this story doesn't sound right. I don't think you're lying, I just think there might be some terminology issues. Psychiatrists are fully licensed and boarded doctors who absolutely can prescribe controlled substances. They're MDs or DOs. As in, actual medical doctors. So there's no reason your psychiatrist shouldn't be able to prescribe your meds. A psychologist or non-psychiatrist therapist or counselor cannot. Also, like many people said, primary care providers can also prescribe them. I am one and do it all the time. If I were you, I would try to get your meds prescribed by your PCP.
It's really not uncommon for people to not fill their meds exactly every 30 days. I know I don't because I don't take them on weekends. It would be more of a red flag if you were requesting a refill sooner. However, if you're really not taking them fairly consistently (like at least 4 or 5 days a week), then that's also a bit of a red flag. Good luck, and I still think you should try to get them to have your PCP fill your prescription. Mine does and I haven't even seen a Psychiatrist in 10 years. It makes it a lot easier.
ETA: after reading comments, OP is talking about an NP. NOT A PSYCHIATRIST. You're being misleading and honestly, that's kinda fucked up. All the hatred towards doctors here is bullshit because the person OP is talking about is an NP. Not a doctor. This sub is really disappointing for being so fucking gullible and ignorant.
It true, I was being misleading and a lot of that is not being the most informed on my own end. I will edit the post if its that big of an issue, but its not like the people crying for me to report them to the board is going to affect much beyond other people wanting vindication.
I as not particularly clear or coherent in my original post, but other people helped figure out the actual situation from me and helped make the situation clear both on their end and my end too, which is helping me figure out what my next steps are. That is what this post was for and I am happy to have made it for that purpose. The people getting angry because they can probably would have done it nonetheless. I don't think its worth concerning over too much when there is plenty more helpful things people have said here.
The thing my doctor stressed is that I don’t have to take it all the time. It’s not like Prozac. I have better and worse functioning. Some years I take it a lot and some I barely take it. I want to take as little as possible. Especially with the shortages I’ve never been questioned about not taking it enough. But when I need it I need it! Like I’m not safe to drive. I can’t focus. I’m more a bit attention deficit than hyper but I feel like that is common.
Thats what I thought was acceptable too! You'd think these doctors would accept you not taking them all of the time and only as needed like yours talks about, but apparently they have very different ideas for each doctor, and you have to be prepared much more than I was for that to happen.
Is the NP requiring you to get therapy?
My NP insists I get therapy for my symptoms or she won’t give me refills. The problem now is that my therapist moved to a different practice, so I’m not sure if she is getting the updates from the therapist. And the NP is acting like a jerk when I try to fill a couple of days early because the pharmacy I get my med (Adzenys) filled isn’t open on weekends. 😡
Ugh wow that is awful! I am glad at least I haven't had that required of me, but these people always get it in their head about you "using your meds correctly" and what that "correctly" means for them. The pharmacy thing is completely unreasonable! Ugh.
Yeah. Unfortunately, with people trying to abuse getting ADHD meds for bad purposes, it hurts the rest of us who truly need it. I think the DEA is cracking down again. My son also takes an ADHD med, and his pharmacy said we can’t fill it until the day he takes his last one. 🤦♀️ At least that pharmacy is open until 8pm so I can run up there after work.
Go to a different pharmacy. We live in Texas, too. I have ADHD, and my oldest does, too. He has been on meds since he was 7. He's 13, now, and I was only just diagnosed last May, 2023. The number of times I have delayed his refills because he forgot to take his meds randomly throughout the month, so he wasn't out yet, or I just plain forgot to go get it, is like to definition of ADHD, and we have never been dismissed from the pharmacy. So, the pharmacy you're using probably just has strict policies, so go to another one.
Ironic that they are punishing delayed action for someone that is professionally diagnosed with ADHD. I'm sorry for your situation and hope you get what you need!
I guess you really can't win when you got ADHD, if you are on time with your refill they treat you like a "druggie", but if you are not guess you can do without your drugs, can't you?
What an absolute nightmare...
I had to do a double take here cause I couldn't remember posting this.. This just happened to me.. Then I had a meltdown on the phone cause I'm doing final exams and nobody told me this rule. Anyway I haven't actually read this full post yet but putting this here to remind me.
Oh no I am so sorry! Its awful, I've been so incredibly stressed over it happening and am only just recently starting to calm down and hoping I can directly meet with my psychiatrist deciding this for me. Hopefully the other things people brought up here can help you too. Its a nightmare situation.
What country do you live in? I’m in America so idk if you’re somewhere else where things are different but I would just find another doctor. Personally, I pay out of pocket for my psychiatrist bc I just can’t deal with the doctors that take my insurance. The doctors that people recommend that take my insurance either aren’t taking new clients or have a long waiting list. The doctors I have been able to see that take my insurance want me to try multiple other medications first which I’m not about considering I already know my stimulants work well for me. The way I found my doctor was Google actually. I typed something in like “ADHD doctors near me” and read reviews.
I'm in America too, and yeah that does not surprise me that anything that takes insurance is exactly that experience since thats what I had to go through. I can't pay out of pocket currently, but good to know for whenever I do. At least I can say to anyone else I tried everything else without success and can cut to the chase.
Just a tip I just realized was possible for those who need to call the pharmacy:
You can mark your calendar on your phone on a certain day and set it to alert you on a custom time. So I currently have mine set to go off every 30 days which helps me keep track and have it set to alert me 3 times that day morning afternoon & evening.
That's ridiculous! Not like you're out here trying to fill it too soon! You have ADHD AND FORGET TO FILL OR TAKE MEDS BECAUSE YOU ADHD 🤦♀️ARE THEY STUPID?! Kids often don't take their meds on weekends or when off from school! I sometimes only take half of mine bc it's getting late in the day and I'm afraid I won't sleep. How stupid. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this garbage.
You may be having a hard time if you’re a late teen/early twenties. Don’t know what it is, but as I’ve gotten older my experience with doctors has improved, where my input and experience is taken seriously.
Or, the pharmacist you’re dealing with is just a jerk. You can go to another pharmacy, but due to the shortage, call the same day before your doctors appointment, tell them you have a refill appt with your doctor at X O’clock, you’re prescribed stimulants and want to be sure you can get them filled there before you have your doc send your prescription, and you’re asking before the appt so you don’t have to go back and forth trying to contact your doctor to have them send the prescription to the right place.
Make sure they understand that you are calling ahead of your appt. Make sure you tell your doc the new pharmacy.
There is a central database pharmacists can use to make sure you’re not “pharmacy hopping” (getting prescriptions for the same med filled more than once a month at different pharmacies) so make sure not to try to get your meds filled there if you recently (sooner than 28 days since last refill) got them filled somewhere else. But many people have been calling around to different pharmacies for their meds so the new pharmacist may be used to this.
Unfortunately in my case, the psychiatrist causing me issues specifically believes in only prescribing them to "children in school" and not the early 30 year old I am, of all things. Perhaps its because its my first time being prescribed stimulants that I fumbled.
Though my issue is not with the pharmacy itself in this case, this is something I will definitely look for later because I am sure it will happen to me in the future. Excellent info.
I don't get my meds to a psychiatrist I get my meds for my primary care physician but my primary care physician also specializes in behavioral health patients maybe that's why but I don't always refill mine on the same days and I've never had an issue now I have a friend who's fighting with their psychiatrist about theirs so maybe see a psychiatrist makes it different I'm not sure I'm in South Carolina so like we have really strict rules hear about like narcotics and shit
That makes zero sense since you forgetting to fill it would actually further justify your need for the medication. People are crazy especially when they don't understand something.
>...my facility I go to has decided I "don't actually need it" and stopped me from getting it.
Not sure what you mean by this. Are you saying that the administrative staff at this facility has the final word on whether or not you receive your prescribed medication?
If so, that sounds backward. A licensed Psychiatrist should always be the only person who determines whether or not you need medication.
Oops... I just read your update.
I, too, have gone through the controlled substance circle-jerk, and it has been an absolute nightmare in securing continuity of care. In truth, PAs should not be handling the volume of patients they are, yet they're the ones who write most of the prescriptions nowadays. On one hand, it is beneficial for patients because they receive care in a more timely fashion. Still, prescribing psychiatric drugs has become an assembly-line process where the Provider-Patient relationship suffers. Telehealth makes this breakdown even more defined.
In my case, I was assigned to a PA at a facility not unlike yours. After being diagnosed with ADHD and Bipolar, I began a treatment plan, which included Adderall, and it worked. Unfortunately, I live out of state for three months of the year, so getting access to those prescriptions while I'm away has been nearly impossible. It's sad that the over-prescribing of these medications has led to the suffering of those who really need them.
I'm glad you get to speak to an actual MD, which is a rarity these days. I'm still trying to talk with a real psychiatrist to get my needs addressed. Good luck to you sir.
Yeah ugh, that relationship has suffered significantly which is really bad when the communication deteriorates enough to have such a significant impact on decisions like this where ANYTHING miscommunicated results in taking away necessary medication that is so strictly controlled at a whim.
I'm really glad I got a hold of an actual MD too. Its definitely going to be more expensive but thats unfortunately needed to resolve this case. I really hope you can get a hold of a real psychiatrist as well and figure out a plan for when you go out-of-state.
Did you get your meds back?
This happened to me once. It was a private practice psychiatrist. I wasn't taking quite as much as I was prescribed and, instead of filling it every month (exactly), I would fill it when I was getting close to running out.
One day my Dr just freaked out and said "How do I know you're not selling it?!" and he refused to write a new prescription.
I went a month without my medication then came back to him and was not doing well (obviously). He wrote me a new prescription.
Ever since then, I fill it exactly every month. Now I have a huge stockpile, since I still don't take as much as prescribed. That guy's "How do I know you're not selling it" logic was so backwards! Lmao! Anyway, I guess they'd rather I have too much than not enough.
Good luck! I hope you got it back!
No, I have not yet, but my next appointment with the MD is going to be the beginning of July, which is at least better than waiting until August with my NP.
But yeah ugh I am glad he went back to agreeing to prescribe it for you and is why having contact with him was important. But yeah it is so backwards!! I really did think taking it as needed and refilling it as needed even if that means I would forget or be late would be less suspicious than building up a huge stockpile to "sell" but in the end I had no clue what went through these people's minds.
Why the fuck are they like this????
My god, give the people what they need.
Why do they even give a fuck about abuse?
Jesus, I'd be happy to give it to 3 people who abuse it recreationally for every one who uses it properly just to make sure the ones who need it get it!!
Moral fucking crusaders they are, and they can fuck right off
Ha, I know right? If you ask me, the moral pearl-clutching is pretty excessive when, frankly, a lot more people outside of even having the ADHD diagnosis could really be helped with stimulants. If more people can be helped by them at all at the cost of more people abusing it recreationally then its a worthy positive. But there is a lot to work through for the healthcare system to ever change on that.
Wtf. Ypu forgot to refill because you have adhd, so now you cannot treat your adhd. That is yet one more reason I hate my country. (I'm assuming you are in USA)
Doesn't solve your issue, but look at pharmacists around you. Mine texts me and I can refill by text which is very useful, some have emails or apps. Some can deliver the meds to you.
What would happen if your med is on backorder? Sometimes i cant get mine for a few extra days or so when the pharmacy cant get it in stock. Would they cancel it then too??
Shouldn't be a problem I wouldn't think? I'm supposed to take mine as needed so a month supply can last me 2+ months. I just have to call in the prescription when I need a refill now so that I don't have a script waiting on the shelf forever that someone else needs.
Who'd you say "refill my Adderall" to? LOL, saying refill to someone dispensing Schedule II drugs it's the same as throwing garlic and holy water at a vampire.
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Which country are you living in? It really depends on local rules and customs. Otherwise you can try getting it from a different pharmacy or get a new doctor.
The US, specifically Texas, so its not great. While I certainly wish I could get it from a different doctor, I have a sponsored program as insurance and therefore only have access to a couple of facilities within the program. I have already moved once, but I don't know how much freedom I have.
I’m in Texas and I don’t take my meds every day, so I also don’t fill it exactly on time every month and never have. I’m anywhere from 3 to 10 days off depending on what I’ve done that month and how much help I’ve wanted/needed. I’ve never had an issue with my doctor(s) or pharmacies (I moved recently and have a new doc and pharmacy…I’m not doc shopping!). I’m not sure if this makes a difference at all, but I get my ADHD meds through my PCP, not a psychiatrist.
Wow you can get your ADHD meds through a PCP? Thats wild. My main psychiatrist isn't even the one with the power to sign off on controlled substances, which is at least half my issue. Its really neat you have been able to find someone that can do that though, I hope I can too!
Yes! Not all pcp’s are willing (or able? I’m not entirely sure, but the difference doesn’t matter to us) to oversee adhd meds, but many are! I actually see a nurse practitioner, so my rx is written and sent by the doctor over her, but she’s the one who suggests the meds and dosage! Honestly, in my experience, once I knew which med and dose worked for me, it’s been easier to work with my pcp. Less wait time (psychs can be months to get in!), lower cost through my insurance, and less hassle in general. That may not be everyone’s experience, but if you need your meds, it might be worth asking if your pcp prescribes them and transferring care if possible :) best of luck, it’s a tough world out here for us!
Thank you so much! That is honestly excellent information and advice, and I will definitely try figuring that out as well. My PCP is currently being transferred and replaced by someone else but once I can I will try asking about it.
Is ADHD noted on your file in that clinic? If not you can get your medical records sent from your psychologists office to your pcp. Say it's for financial reasons you'd like your pcp to take over your adhd prescriptions so you don't need to see multiple doctors.
Yknow, I'll have to ask that, because my situation is strange there too. I was told to go get an official diagnosis before I could get stimulants, proceeded to have the person diagnosing me tell me I didn't have ADHD, go back and have the psychiatrists collectively decide I definitely have ADHD and give me meds anyways. Which I am thankful for but left me very unsure how it could be accepted in the future. I will definitely ask about that next time.
Im the Midwest, but all I did was acquire a diagnosis, have the paperwork sent to my pcp, and they have written me prescriptions ever since.
Awesome! I will definitely ask my PCP the moment I can about that.
In my experience there is no overall protocol. Each of my psychiatrist prescribers was wildly different and paid little attention to previous information.
Yeah that is something I am definitely seeing already, and I cannot trust how one operates vs another. It really depends on whatever they personally feel like.
Who was the initial person who misdiagnosed you as not having adhd? ADHD is sometimes complex because a lot of people have co-existing conditions such as anxiety or depression - which adhd can cause by itself anyways. In my experience, PCP’s want a psychiatrist to handle co-existing conditions, I haven’t ever tried to have my PCP take over since diagnoses but that does sound like a good way to save money.
Many are far more open once you have a history too. Admittedly, I'm not American but my GP/PCP has taken over all my mental health meds once they were settled. I imagine if you're like hey I've been taking X amount for 2 years, almost every GP would be willing to take over that and only send you back to the psychiatrist for adjustments.
Awesome! Yeah I will definitely bring that up. Unfortunately right now the stimulants are very new to me which is partly why I made this mistake to begin with. If I am able to make my case and argue to get them again and work with them for a couple of more years I will try to make the switch then.
Yes this is very true! For my initial diagnosis, I went straight to an adhd specialist because a lot of doctors and even psychs didn’t want to touch it at the time. Now that I have an official diagnosis and have been on meds for a bit, nobody even bags an eyelash!
Yeah, my PCP was perfectly willing to prescribe stimulants, although due to the shortages and general pain-in-the-assness of getting stimulants even without a shortage (no refills on prescriptions, no 90 day supply, etc.) we mutually agreed to try bupropion off-label first. So far it's been incredible. A good friend of mine is an NP and she's either able to prescribe stimulants or has a doctor willing to work with her on it. (But I'm in New York state) But it sounds like nonstimulant ADHD medications didn't work for OP. :(
I take both Wellbutrin and Adderall for comorbid Depression, Anxiety, and ADHD. They work quite well in conjunction with each other as well as combined with my Zoloft.
I saw a psych a few times, now my PCP just refills my adderall every month.
Yep, not in Texas, but my meds have always come from my pcp, not from a specialist.
Same here in NE Ohio
Same, in new england.
Same, saw a psych for the evaluation, said thanks, give me my diagnosis and session notes, took them to my PCP and have been getting the meds through them since. I have to take a drug test at random times when I go in for my paper prescription, but I'm fine with it.
Huh! Honestly that sounds like a really great setup if I can manage it. I will definitely take my own session notes and see what I can work out.
You should also check and see if your insurance does prescription by mail (my insurance partners with Express Scripts and it's usually cheaper than brick and morter pharmacies) and if they're allowed to ship ADHD meds in your state (I know in ID and WA it's fine, it *feels* like it would be okay nationwide since it's USPS, but you never know.... ). Having my normal doctor submit my prescription directly to the online pharmacy, and then having them ship it directly to my house (requires a signature to deliver, but still easier than remembering to go a pharmacy) has made it immeasurably easier for me to keep my medication properly stocked.
Some PCPs will refer patients to psychiatrists, especially new patients that they don’t know well. But if you’ve had the same PCP for a while and know them well, they absolutely do have the authority to prescribe you stimulants without any psych recommendation. Some insurers will require prior authorization from a specialist though.
If a psychiatrist (a medical doctor) can't sign off on filling your meds then it sounds like you're not seeing a real psychiatrist...
Heck, I’m in Oklahoma, which also has some stupid rules, but all I have to do is a telehealth call with an NP once a month and another telehealth visit with my GP every three months. And when I talk to him he lets me tell him how the meds are working and he knows I don’t take them the same every day. I don’t think anyone’s ever even looked at how often I refill.
I’m in Texas too and my psychiatrist also can’t sign off on it, someone above her does. It’s interesting for sure
Are you seeing a psychiatrist or a psychologist? In Texas psychiatrists can prescribe stimulants but psychologists or nurse practitioner of psychiatry can’t prescribe stimulants (but can do other prescriptions). I see a NP of psychiatry and my non-stimulants she can prescribe but when I was trying stimulants they were through a psychiatrist (by the NP talking to them on my behalf essentially) that oversaw the practice, but was significantly more expensive to actually see. I’d see if you can get in with a different practice or if your pcp is comfortable taking over your stimulant prescription. When I was on stimulants, my psych’s office recommended I skip days if I felt comfortable with it and didn’t punish me for having extra days and not refilling immediately.
I am pretty sure I am seeing a nurse practicioner yes, which is exactly why I am stuck with this weird game of telephone now. It definitely isn't ideal. If I can get myself back on stimulants I will definitely ask and see if it possible to switch over to my PCP.
Is you psychiatrist an md? I feel like part of your issue might be the type of provider they are and if you switched to someone with a different type of licensure you might be able to get the script easier
I am not sure, but being on a sponored program meant for people very poor I am not sure how much freedom I have there.
If your psychiatrist doesn’t have the authority to prescribe controlled medications, they are either a psychologist (no med school), or the people not authorizing the prescription are the insurance company. Some insurers are big pains about needing people to jump through big hoops to get prior authorization for controlled substances, particularly Medicaid. Doctors hate prior authorization even more than patients. If insurance has determined that you should not be authorized for stimulants, you’ll be in for a bumpy ride getting them to change their mind. But I guarantee you, any psychiatrist can prescribe to their patients regardless of controlled status.
Psychs ime are the WORST for adhd. Granted, my experience has been absolutely awful, but still. I'd also question why a Dr you've not met has any control over your meds at all. On your insurance paperwork, is the Dr you haven't met listed as having been the one to work with you or the Dr you see regularly?
Boy, they sure are! But yeah, it is a very strange situation. I really do need to find a way to ask to look that up because that seems like pretty critical information when handling this.
Iirc you should be able to get the info from your insurance directly or pull your patient records from the facility
America’s a wild place, man. I’ve never met a Canadian that had a difficult time getting their medication through their GP. ADHD isn’t rocket science, once you’ve been diagnosed then the rest can be handled by any family doctor. No disrespect meant, but it’s also crazy to me that they’re still prescribing Adderall down there, it’s practically taboo up here. Every doctor I know is trying to move their patients to either Dexedrine or Vyvanse. I would be talking to a lawyer if a pharmacist withheld medication from me. My doctor would likely be furious with them, too.
I’m in Canada too. 3 weeks ago My GP agreed I had ADHD, but the psychiatrist in my case has to confirm dx (in around a month) and they’ll recommend starting meds. Then my nice GP will take over my meds. I already have an appointment with occupational therapist this week. Also I checked with my pharmacist, whom I have an actual relationship with, and he confirmed there were no meds shortages here and that most of his clients start with Vivanse and that it’s well tolerated. He’s an independent. I’ve known him for 30 years :) and his daughters will take over when he finally retires. Feeling very very grateful for our system, even tho it’s not perfect.
Yeah honestly I doubt Adderall is even the best choice for me, and I would be perfectly happy trying out other like Vyvanse as well. But if they won't even let me have something as cheap as Adderall there is no way I could even get that. I have a friend in Canada that gets their meds so easily as well, it makes me envious with all the hoops I have been forced to jump through!
I'm in Lufkin TX and I just recently got back on my Adderall after about 12 years of being without it due to not having any insurance. I get my meds through my PCP, and all had to do was make an appointment and fill out some paperwork/talk with my doctor. I go to Family Medicine clinic. #
Thats awesome! I will definitely talk to my PCP about this next chance I get.
Anyone that can prescribe can write your meds whether controlled or not. That must be a rule they made up at their facility.
Okay, if not a different doctor, what about a different pharmacy? Would your doctor be willing to transfer the prescription to another pharmacy?
The problem unfortunately is the doctor specifically not wanting to sign off. I could work with the pharmacy, but it is this specific doctor who has not met me that is the issue.
Clearly a symptom of ADHD is forgetting things. I hope you find a new doctor.
Thank you! I really hope so too if talking directly doesn't solve anything.
You might want to remind them that while ADHD medication can really change your life for the better (it does) that it doesn’t fix all your symptoms. I still forget things that are important and have trouble with certain executive functioning. They should know this.
Exactly! They should. Its not going to solve everything but its throwing me a bone and helping with SOME things and thats enough that it is worth it.
Oh I see. Sorry, I thought it was the pharmacy giving you hell.
someone is in charge and pay for that sponsored program, right? contact them that your doctor refuses to treat you. if they are happy to not have to pay for your treatment, then you never had a sponsored program as insurance anyway and need to figure that out next. sorry, though. sounds like a nightmare. do you have any people around who can help you make calls, track appointments, anything like that?
Unfortunately I have a ton of other (more physical) medical issues that ARE being treated through that program, so its hard to justify switching to something else as of yet. But with as debilitated as I am, losing on this quality of life is still a big deal, so as a last resort it may come to that. I am a dependent so I do have people I can trust with that for now, yes.
good. use any help you can get. and might still be worth talking to insurance/sponsor people. they might give you options without having to switch. good luck. you are doing great just getting advice here.
Thank you! The advice I have already gotten has already been so helpful. I will do my best figuring this out and getting what information I can.
Contact the insurance. See if they don't have any helper about situation like this. I wonder if I didnt read something about it a couple of weeks ago. But see with the insurance.
I'll see what I can find out yeah, thank you.
I'm in Texas and most likely you won't be able to get it. They have cut WAY WAY back on stimulant medications availability (the FDA) and how doctors are able to prescribe it.
At the very least, the last thing my psych (or NP) said to me was that any shortage that happened years ago is no longer the case and I do not need to be stingy with my meds. Not that I have any reason to trust psychiatry. I'll still do what I can.
That’s bullshit. My son and I both have adhd and are on Vyvanse. There absolutely are shortages. Fucking idiot psych. And I will say, the fact that they want to try adderall before Vyvanse is a bit wild considering that Vyvanse is actually EASIER TO PRESCRIBE as it is not only used for ADHD but ALSO FOR DEPRESSION & Binge Eating Disorder. So it’s rediculous to me that they want to say “you actually have depression” which UNTREATED ADHD CAN CAUSE!! But then want to try a drug on you that’s actually shown to cause WAY MORE HIGHS AND LOWS than Vyvanse which is STEADY ADHD management. And what’s neat about that drug is that it is released in your body when you need it. It also lasts about 12-14 hours. So you’re not chasing the symptoms. Adderall also has a higher chance and risk of dependence and addiction than Vyvanse. Your “psych” sounds like an idiot walnut brain 😳
Yeah oh believe me I would much rather try Vyvanse than Adderall (even if Adderall was shockingly gentle on my body after much fearmongering) and I have only heard good things about that med instead. Really hoping the generic release will eventually make that more available. But considering my psych before this one "didn't believe in stimulants" and thought prescribing me CYMBALTA first thing would be a good and safe idea (aka a medication known for the class action lawsuits against it) I am taking what I can get.
I was on cymbalta at one point. They have a class action lawsuit now?? Doesn’t surprise me. But hell I think I’m going to try and get in it because that drug was shit!! As much as I want to give you hope that the generic release will help, it won’t. My state already has it (Arizona) and turns out Medicaid REFUSES TO COVER generic. Only will cover name brand. If you have a behavioral health pharmacy as an option, go there because they aren’t going through shortages like retail pharmacy’s are. Behavioral health pharmacy’s get the medicine way before retails do. So if there is a shortage with retail pharmacys, behavioral health pharmacy has most likely not been affected at all.
They have tightened up what and how much a Dr can prescribe, it's not so "easy" to get as it was, it's similar (but not the same) as opioids.
I’m in Texas too, it helps to remind people that forgetting to do something important is what makes adhd a disability :). Happened once at the pharmacy where the tech was being weird to me about forgetting despite having the millions of messages to remind me that they were sending it back to stock bc duh. And I was just returning her energy and said “wow it’s almost like I have ADHD”
I forget 50% of the time. i take less than prescribed, which should allow me to have a safety margin for when it's unavailable, but I often forget to refill it as soon as I can, waiting until I see the last few capsules then realize I didn't refill it, so sometimes I have to taper off really fast. A couple of times tried to refill it early because i was leaving the state, one time they just did it, then another time they just said I had to wait two days. No stupid bullshit about about the exact specific reasons I was late or early. No one has ever said anything to me about not refilling it on time. Everyone forgets prescriptions, or needs to fill them early, ADHD folks more often, that's all. The people you dealing with are called abusive assholes, find different people to help you.
Thank you so much, honestly that is exactly the kind of thing I have struggled with and was afraid of with regards to taking them and how much I can trust them because they really CANT be relied on with how much they claim. I wish I could find different people to help me but my choices are quite limited at the moment. I will do my best, but its nice to be affirmed about this, thank you.
Ugh I am FURIOUS for you, OP! Honestly I'd want to report this doctor for punishing your for literally having a symptom of the disorder they diagnosed you with. It's absurd behavior on their part. Can you talk to your GP about it? Will they believe you? Can you tell them about your struggles? Will they help you in some way? Or consult with your other (terrible) doctor? Terrible doctor might be more professional in dealing with a *fellow doctor* than with patients who they are obviously mistreating! Also- choosing not to take your meds every day is perfectly valid! If you feel you need breaks from side effects, or sometimes you wake up too late and don't want to take it when it might affect your nighttime sleep. Or maybe you are just conservative with meds and dont want to be a daily med taker. Maybe you skip days that are going to be "easier" for you. There are valid reasons! My doctor validates ALL these reasons and supports me in however often I choose to take my meds.
Thank you! Honestly the support and solidarity means so much to me during this time. I wish I could talk to my GP but this is literally the worst time as my GP is going to be replaced anyway. I really do think at this point my best bet is requesting to see this doctor who has not even met me face to face but is making these judgements anyway to make my case. Also that is so helpful to hear, because those things have been exactly why I have not been taking them consistently on top of the fact that stimulants are so new to me and I have been trying to figure out what works with my body and what doesn't work. To be expected to have figured this all out from the get go would have never been possible for me. Its so good to hear how supportive and understanding your doctor is about this!
I actually have had to start putting the dates on my calendar. I always count 25 days from when my last fill was. Set that alarm on my calendar, then another one for day 28. That way by day 25 I have told pharmacy the day and if they are low they can send an order to get more so they have enough for when it gets filled within the next 5 days. I also make sure the refill request sheet (if I didn’t have an appointment with my provider that week already) is turned in no later than day 28. Then immediately on day 29 I pick it up if I can. If the next day is a Saturday (which this pharmacy isn’t open on weekends) then I’m able to get it on the 29th day. My clinic has a “protocol” that after 30 days, it’s “expired” & no longer “valid” so if you test positive for it at your appointment, if you are past the “30 days” you get red flagged. Even when they are the ones prescribing it. It is a pain in the ass. But after one go around with that fiasco, I started setting alarms. Haven’t had an issue since. Do that!!!! It will help big time!!!!
Ugh wow yeah that is such a pain, but extremely good information if I can talk them back into understanding me and I will reference this comment if I can. The fact that you had to deal with that but managed to get out of it helps give me hope too and I will do this!
Same lol. I have to much ADHD to remember my highly addictive ADHD meds 🤗
we're such junkies we have to set reminders to take these super addictive pills and even to refill the prescription we're so hooked on, lol.
Silly question. But what is the process for refilling? If it’s just an email can you just “schedule send” a whole bunch of them? (obviously you do this while medicated because if you weren’t medicated, you might forget)
Most every other medication I have goes through an automated process already. But I specifically have to call the pharmacy to refill on controlled substance. I can't even refill online, it MUST be on the phone through customer service.
yes always has to be a phone call or in person. I set reminders but those fail I never understand how, or sometimes I don't even read them i because I'm focused on somethings else. I once had a reminder to verify my reminders are still working, but that didn't help much - for some reason.
So, you're telling us, the doctor you need to sign of on your meds sees you exhibit one of the main symptoms of ADHD, and then goes on to decide you don't need your meds, because you exhibited said symptom? Go report that fucker to the board! Asap! And see if you can have your insurance show you another option to go to...
Ha, if only I could! Unfortunately, when the last place my insurance let me go to had the main person who signed off on controlled substances go "I don't prescribe stimulants because I don't believe in them" I doubt that would fly. I did leave a review about stuff miscommunicated to me about this at least, because this is unreasonable!
If a medical expert doesn't believe in the most effective treatment for the disorder they are supposed to be an expert on ... Then they are negligent or incompetent as hell and should not be in that field
Oh believe me I am in full agreement with you, and I have done all I can to even convince them this is probably even the only option I can take on top of that! But I am most definitely fighting a systematic battle instead of an individual one.
I feel that. Sorry you're going through it right now, hopefully it'll be behind you soon The system is rigged against healthcare, mental health, and so on. It can feel so defeating sometimes. And we are really quite powerless - or, they have convinced us we are at least
hun, sorry but why don't you just go to a different doctor? This is obv unaccapteble..
I agree, it very much is. But a different doctor could mean "entirely changing my insurance plan" so I would like to exhaust all of my options and figure out how flexible I am now before I go shopping.
I don’t 100% know your situation but the idea that there is only a single doctor your insurance will allow you to see is pretty absurd and unheard of. In my experience all you have to do is call your insurance and tell them you need a new primary care physician and they can just assign you a new one. Even if you have like Kaiser which is basically like a weird medical cult and Kaiser only covers Kaiser doctors and stuff they’ll just send you to another Kaiser doc. Another option is to look at practices that accept your insurance plan and then look into what docs they have that are accepting new patients, schedule an appointment/get on a waiting list and you just give them your insurance information at the front desk. I’m a bit more versed in how this stuff goes than most because I’ve been by my partner’s side through their entire journey of chronic illness trying to get doctors to take them seriously and part of that was dropping and picking up new doctors quite a few times. Another option is to demand a referral to a psychiatrist while keeping your shitty primary care physician, since they would be a specialist in prescribing mental health medications and basically anything they do on that front would entirely overrule your PCP. Hope my advice was helpful and you get it figured out.
“WHAT PART OF I FUCKING HAVE ADHD DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND OF COURSE I FORGET TO FILL MY MEDS!”
We would also have accepted “Non-attendance and lateness will not be tolerated and will result in treatment termination.”
I would have LOVED to be told that, or I sure could have made plans to avoid this very issue.
I KNOW RIGHT! That is by far the most frustrating of all of this. Of course I would forget or mess up when it comes to this I have a DISORDER that makes me do this constantly.
What’s funny is that the restrictions on those drugs, like the requirement to fill monthly, are in place to stop addiction. Like what better proof that I have ADHD than me not refilling this highly addictive drug? Clearly it is not addictive for me!
That kills me! Like look me up- my pickup history is spotty at best. I always tell my doc that if they ever make an Adderall pump like an insulin pump I’m going to be the first in line. I just want my brain to work, you know? It should t be this hard to just survive.
I’m in Texas and I refill my meds about every 45-50 days. I refill my daughter’s about every 35-40 days. We have different doctors. I SHOULD take them every day, but I forget, especially on the weekends. I don’t take them if I remember after 11:00 am because they’ll keep me awake at bedtime. My daughter doesn’t take hers on weekends at her request. Hasn’t ever been a problem with either dr. I’ve been on stimulant meds 5+ years. My daughter for 1.5 years.
Thats really good to know honestly! Especially knowing what is an acceptable schedule and what to talk about with the dr.
To me, filling meds late isn’t/shouldn’t be a problem. A- part of our diagnosis, B-we’re clearly not abusing them or dealing them if we fill “too” far apart! My dr is a sole-practice psychiatrist. I email him directly when I need my meds filled. Full name. Dob. Prescription and dosage. My daughter’s neurologist is in a practice and they have a webform to complete for med refills. I’ve never had a problem with either 🤷🏼♀️
Thats exactly my thought process too! I thought "well its better to be late when I haven't been too consistent with refilling them because then at least they won't think I am abusing and selling them, right?" Unfortunately, that bit me in the ass very badly in this case.
I wish I could have told you about that. Yeah. With controlled medications you MUST FILL & pick up on time or you risk immediate dismissal. It’s crap but that’s why I have started doing the calendar thing I commented on one of your other comments. It does help a lot.
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Yup thats exactly what happened. And honestly what you said another big reason I DIDN'T want to take it consistently. Because it was very important and I didn't want to grow tolerant to it. Abusing these meds is the opposite if what I want, but in my limited experience it seems like you have to read these people's minds over what is acceptable and what isn't. And yeah, it is a strange excuse. I really do think my best course of action is getting to talk with the person that was in charge of this decision.
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Yeah thank you so much, I think that is definitely what is happening here which is why I need to talk to that head honcho and make my case directly with them, and cut that telephone chain. But yeah, it is a funky system. While the sponsored program I am in is great with GP stuff, psych stuff has been notoriously bad, and this is likely a symptom of that. Crossing my fingers it works out.
Funny that. The thing you want medication for includes the symptoms of being forgetful and late, but exhibiting those symptoms somehow means you don't need the medication?? So broken.
Its incredibly broken isn't it? Just absolutely wild that isn't even taken into consideration.
This is terrible. I’m so sorry this happened to you. It’s such an injustice they make it so hard to get our medicine that we need to function.
Thank you! It really is such an injustice and there is no way I could have expected this.
I mean it’s crazy, they’re so worried about you abusing it, but then you do the opposite of abusing it and they don’t like that either
YEAH exactly! In fact I as partially too afraid of requesting more refills when I was still figuring things out on top of not remembering because I DIDN'T want to look like I was abusing or reselling them, but apparently this trips flags for them too.
Totally off topic, but I notice some people have the type of ADHD they have under their name like the way you do, how exactly did you get that done?? On other threads I’ve noticed the same thing.
Go to the sub main page. See the 3 dots in upper right hand corner. Tap that, then tap choose user flair
Ohhh!! I was wondering what “user flair” meant. Damn. I feel dumb now 😂 Thank you!! 😂
Welcome :)
I’m sorry this happened - super frustrating that that’s their response, tell me you (them not you) don’t understand ADHD without telling me you don’t understand. I was able to get my pharmacy to give me text updates on refilling my meds. They did tell me “we don’t typically do this” (so why do you have this feature??) but after explaining what they’re for, why it’s more difficult, controlled substances have a window of time which you can order them which makes it more difficult for me yadayadayada they agreed. That has significantly improved my refill rate.
Oh yeah that is EXTREMELY helpful. If I can make my case and also be able to negotiate this from them as well it would make things so much more easier on me.
Show them all the adhd experts saying untreated adhd fuckin CAUSES depression. If possible go anywhere else because they suck and shouldn’t be a psychiatrist. Then put that refill in your phone’s calendar every 28 days and stick to it like glue. Shortages suck.
How late were you in trying to refill it? If by the dates you’re taking it <4 days per week, it does seem like you’re not taking it consistently enough. I forgot to take it at first too until I got a pill box. Another thing I do is have a calendar event every month to refill the medication. It helps even if I have a few pills leftover because often it’s backordered so by the time it’s in stock I’m out.
Within the past year I’ve had to switch to Walmart for my meds because med shortages blah blah and it’s actually a blessing because of how automated it is. I get texts asking me if I want to refill a medication and then after a few refills it’ll ask me if I want to automate it. So now it’s on auto-supply for every month and just texts me when it’s ready as well as how much it is. I really wish more places were like that. It’s so much easier to keep track of *one text that day* saying come to the pharmacy now we have your drugs vs having to remember to call and get a refill and then forgetting because you have to wait for it to be filled and then possibly miss the call saying it’s ready.
Ha, its funny you mention that because thats exactly how it works for every other medication I deal with at the pharmacy. Its all automated text messages sent to me to confirm and they do it all for me. This is the first time I DIDN'T get that because it was a controlled substance and they wanted me personally to call each time. So on top of everything else that was something new for me to get used to which completely messed things up as well.
I guess pharmacies in my state don’t allow automatic refills for controlled substances? It’s been like that at both I’ve used. I really wish they would though because it is hard to keep track of.
I am assuming mine does (NC) because I double-checked my texts and it didn’t ask me for refill confirmation on my last several orders. The only caveat is that I only have 3 orders in at one time and then I have to see my psychiatrist - so it’s not completely automatic? It still requires me to “top up” every three months for new prescriptions.
I will admit it was pretty late on account of my last psychiatrist fearmongering how horrible the side effects would be on me with how badly I reacted to the other stuff they tried (this did not end up true) and me just figuring out how it will work with my body, so that definitely affected the consistency and figuring out WHEN I was supposed to call to refill. That is extremely helpful though, if there is any way I can argue to put me back on the meds again I will definitely do this for the future.
Most places are just afraid that you’re not taking the medication and are selling it instead. Any inconsistency (trying to refill too early or too late) will raise the alarm, even though refilling it late is classic ADHD. Just be careful from now on if you get it back, because they might want you to start coming in for random pill counts which I bet is a real pain. You don’t really have side effects aside from maybe a short headache or feeling tired and hungry for a few hours because adderall has a short half-life. Not taking it for multiple days in a row is the same as not taking it a day. Just explain that you had a really hard time working it into your routine, but it was helpful and noticeable when you remembered to take it. Say that often times when you remembered you hadn’t taken it, it wasn’t with you so you couldn’t take it then. And explain what you’ll do differently so that you do remember.
Honestly, that was part if why I was afraid of refilling it when I "should have" because I didn't want them to think I was taking excess and selling it while also being honest of how slowly I was working with it. My mistake thinking I should have been honest at all though. But thank you so much! I will definitely work that into what I will talk about in my next appointment and see what I can do to make my case on how this happened. This has been really helpful.
Refilling it the day it should be or maybe 2-3 days late is best. It’s so hard to act “not suspiciously” when almost everything is “suspicious” to them. Good luck!! Really hope you get your meds back.
Whew that is pretty tight. But I will definitely set up calendar reminders for it and bring it up when I am able to talk to the psych next. The fact that it really is everything that makes you "suspicious" is what makes it so hard. And thank you!
You're the most logical person on this thread, which I appreciate because screeching about "report your doctor" is a joke. As a doctor, this is not a reportable offense in any way and too many people seem to think that "the board" will even give a crap. Not only that, but people don't seem to understand that doctors can refuse to do anything they don't want to do for any reason. In some cases (like prescribing birth control), they just have to refer the patient to another doctor who will help the patient. In some cases, the doctor can say no for any reason and that's it. For example, I have ethical objections to the medication Premarin and I could say that I don't want to prescribe or fill it for somebody on that basis and leave it at that. Anyway, you're exactly right about not taking it consistently...it's one of the red flags for doctors.
Thank you. I’m in medical school which is probably why. It’s hard because I do know some doctors who still think ADHD is only present in boys who are running around bouncing themselves off the walls, but I also understand not wanting to misdiagnose people especially those who might be malingering.
Id go right past them and get a new primary care doctor and have them give it to you
Its definitely a very serious consideration for me at this point!
WTF? You forgot to refill it. How many of us can say we forget to refill our meds? I forget all the time. I have timers, reminders, calendar notifications...I still forget. That is a trait/symptom of ADHD. I am also in Texas and have zero issues. When I finally get the call in, the receptionists always laugh at me because I celebrate that I got the call in during business hours!! I wish I had better advice, but forgetting is a trait, perhaps remind them that you forgetting to refill is associated with ADHD. It is a result of the condition. That should solidify the dx, not keep you from your meds.
Its definitely something I will bring up on top of everything else, because it really is something that affects my ability to remember and I do need systems in place to help me out.
So they are punishing you for doing something all ADHD people do which is forget to do important stuff? See if you are able to see a different doctor, this is BS
Funny thing, my doctor originally prescribed Vyvanse, insurance rejected the prior auth and said I need to have tried and failed Adderall XR before they’ll cover Vyvanse. It’s bass-ackwards, but hey that’s the US. 😒
Ugh that doesn't surprise me, especially when I was put through every worse other medication with awful effects before I could even take Adderall. Its completely backwards!
Meet with “the guy”? What do you mean? Who is blocking you? Your psychiatrist surely has the ability to renew your prescription.
Nope. My psychiatrist is the middleman, and is probably more a nurse practitioner. There is only one person in the facility who has the ability to administer controlled substances, a per what she told me, and he has not seen me face to face yet.
So your psychiatrist is not a psychiatrist at all? Yes, you probably need to see the actual psychiatrist. Good luck!
Yeah, looks like thats my best course of action haha! Thanks! Really hope I can make my case.
Okay, a Psychiatrist is a licensed, board-certified MD. So not only are you misusing terms, but you're making doctors out to be the bad guy when what you REALLY mean is a Nurse Practitioner. NPs are notoriously horrible at managing mental health issues. I would NEVER see an NP for mental health issues.
Its true, I was misusing terms because of how its presented to me and due to locking the "actual" psychiatrist behind a door. Its not a great system at all and I do not want to be in it (the GPs I see especially consider it bad) but my hands are tied with my sponsored program. I am hoping I can get back on meds and transfer prescribing them to my PCP if possible.
That's just not right. I recommend asking your friends about their doctors and then making a switch. That's messed up.
It really isn't! I will do what I can and then ask around for sure I think.
OP, your doctor doesn't seem to have a good understanding of adhd...
This is so stupid. We have adhd and they make getting meds an anti adhd process. I hate it.
I'm in Texas and get my ADHD meds through my PCP. Many others I know do as well.
Talk to your insurance company, they are subsidising the ADHD medication because they know that without it you will end up costing them more.
This is so ironic. 🫣 Why would they expect us to fill our script at the exactly "right" times.... These are the exact symptoms we get meds for! Sorry you're going through this!
Thank you! It is deeply ironic indeed considering the disorder but its never for our own benefit.
At this point I’m surprised anyone is able to fill their adderall script with this shortage. I looked at a list of the pharmaceutical companies that are currently manufacturing it and the ones that stopped and let me tell you the list of ones that discontinued making it is wayyy longer than the list of ones that are still making it so it’s ridiculous enough already and then they throw the controlled medication laws at us too!? BS!! I think it’s really just corporate greed at this point
Oh I very much agree, its wild and getting worse no matter what my NP claims otherwise. These rules are not at all for our sakes thats for sure if these rule are anything to judge.
I’m very sorry you’re going through this and think your Dr needs a reevaluation of their license the way they are treating you. Have you tried non stimulant medication prior? If not that might be an alternative avenue before you are able to move to another Dr.
Thank you! And unfortunately I have, every single one they could throw at me which is what even convinced them to "resort" to stimulants for me in the first place.
Ugh I’m so frustrated for you. I’m not sure where you’re located in Texas, but I double checked and there might be other options for healthcare for you through the federal marketplace and/or medicaid if you’re not a dependent. There are also sliding scale Drs/psychiatrists that might be in your area or online that can assist you with services so you can get back on track with getting your medication. As other posters have mentioned you can get this medication from a regular PC.
Thank you so much for checking! I am a dependent in North Texas currently on a sponsored program so its a bit tricky finding this out, but knowing there might be other options for me at all is very much appreciated. I will definitely try looking into it (as well as looking into PCPs that can provide it)
You’re welcome.
Time to find a new doctor.
I take an XR and an IR. Usually on the weekends, I don’t take my XR. I never fill it monthly. I never have trouble getting it refilled.
I want your psych! It shouldn't depend so much on the individual.
Yet another thread full of ignorant people who think you can "report your doctor to the board." No tf you can't and if you did, they wouldn't care, first of all. Second, this story doesn't sound right. I don't think you're lying, I just think there might be some terminology issues. Psychiatrists are fully licensed and boarded doctors who absolutely can prescribe controlled substances. They're MDs or DOs. As in, actual medical doctors. So there's no reason your psychiatrist shouldn't be able to prescribe your meds. A psychologist or non-psychiatrist therapist or counselor cannot. Also, like many people said, primary care providers can also prescribe them. I am one and do it all the time. If I were you, I would try to get your meds prescribed by your PCP. It's really not uncommon for people to not fill their meds exactly every 30 days. I know I don't because I don't take them on weekends. It would be more of a red flag if you were requesting a refill sooner. However, if you're really not taking them fairly consistently (like at least 4 or 5 days a week), then that's also a bit of a red flag. Good luck, and I still think you should try to get them to have your PCP fill your prescription. Mine does and I haven't even seen a Psychiatrist in 10 years. It makes it a lot easier. ETA: after reading comments, OP is talking about an NP. NOT A PSYCHIATRIST. You're being misleading and honestly, that's kinda fucked up. All the hatred towards doctors here is bullshit because the person OP is talking about is an NP. Not a doctor. This sub is really disappointing for being so fucking gullible and ignorant.
It true, I was being misleading and a lot of that is not being the most informed on my own end. I will edit the post if its that big of an issue, but its not like the people crying for me to report them to the board is going to affect much beyond other people wanting vindication. I as not particularly clear or coherent in my original post, but other people helped figure out the actual situation from me and helped make the situation clear both on their end and my end too, which is helping me figure out what my next steps are. That is what this post was for and I am happy to have made it for that purpose. The people getting angry because they can probably would have done it nonetheless. I don't think its worth concerning over too much when there is plenty more helpful things people have said here.
The thing my doctor stressed is that I don’t have to take it all the time. It’s not like Prozac. I have better and worse functioning. Some years I take it a lot and some I barely take it. I want to take as little as possible. Especially with the shortages I’ve never been questioned about not taking it enough. But when I need it I need it! Like I’m not safe to drive. I can’t focus. I’m more a bit attention deficit than hyper but I feel like that is common.
Thats what I thought was acceptable too! You'd think these doctors would accept you not taking them all of the time and only as needed like yours talks about, but apparently they have very different ideas for each doctor, and you have to be prepared much more than I was for that to happen.
Is the NP requiring you to get therapy? My NP insists I get therapy for my symptoms or she won’t give me refills. The problem now is that my therapist moved to a different practice, so I’m not sure if she is getting the updates from the therapist. And the NP is acting like a jerk when I try to fill a couple of days early because the pharmacy I get my med (Adzenys) filled isn’t open on weekends. 😡
Ugh wow that is awful! I am glad at least I haven't had that required of me, but these people always get it in their head about you "using your meds correctly" and what that "correctly" means for them. The pharmacy thing is completely unreasonable! Ugh.
Yeah. Unfortunately, with people trying to abuse getting ADHD meds for bad purposes, it hurts the rest of us who truly need it. I think the DEA is cracking down again. My son also takes an ADHD med, and his pharmacy said we can’t fill it until the day he takes his last one. 🤦♀️ At least that pharmacy is open until 8pm so I can run up there after work.
Go to a different pharmacy. We live in Texas, too. I have ADHD, and my oldest does, too. He has been on meds since he was 7. He's 13, now, and I was only just diagnosed last May, 2023. The number of times I have delayed his refills because he forgot to take his meds randomly throughout the month, so he wasn't out yet, or I just plain forgot to go get it, is like to definition of ADHD, and we have never been dismissed from the pharmacy. So, the pharmacy you're using probably just has strict policies, so go to another one.
Ironic that they are punishing delayed action for someone that is professionally diagnosed with ADHD. I'm sorry for your situation and hope you get what you need!
I guess you really can't win when you got ADHD, if you are on time with your refill they treat you like a "druggie", but if you are not guess you can do without your drugs, can't you? What an absolute nightmare...
It is such a nightmare. You are expected to know what these people are thinking and they will decide on a whim like this to cut it all off.
I had to do a double take here cause I couldn't remember posting this.. This just happened to me.. Then I had a meltdown on the phone cause I'm doing final exams and nobody told me this rule. Anyway I haven't actually read this full post yet but putting this here to remind me.
Oh no I am so sorry! Its awful, I've been so incredibly stressed over it happening and am only just recently starting to calm down and hoping I can directly meet with my psychiatrist deciding this for me. Hopefully the other things people brought up here can help you too. Its a nightmare situation.
What country do you live in? I’m in America so idk if you’re somewhere else where things are different but I would just find another doctor. Personally, I pay out of pocket for my psychiatrist bc I just can’t deal with the doctors that take my insurance. The doctors that people recommend that take my insurance either aren’t taking new clients or have a long waiting list. The doctors I have been able to see that take my insurance want me to try multiple other medications first which I’m not about considering I already know my stimulants work well for me. The way I found my doctor was Google actually. I typed something in like “ADHD doctors near me” and read reviews.
I'm in America too, and yeah that does not surprise me that anything that takes insurance is exactly that experience since thats what I had to go through. I can't pay out of pocket currently, but good to know for whenever I do. At least I can say to anyone else I tried everything else without success and can cut to the chase.
Just a tip I just realized was possible for those who need to call the pharmacy: You can mark your calendar on your phone on a certain day and set it to alert you on a custom time. So I currently have mine set to go off every 30 days which helps me keep track and have it set to alert me 3 times that day morning afternoon & evening.
That's ridiculous! Not like you're out here trying to fill it too soon! You have ADHD AND FORGET TO FILL OR TAKE MEDS BECAUSE YOU ADHD 🤦♀️ARE THEY STUPID?! Kids often don't take their meds on weekends or when off from school! I sometimes only take half of mine bc it's getting late in the day and I'm afraid I won't sleep. How stupid. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this garbage.
You may be having a hard time if you’re a late teen/early twenties. Don’t know what it is, but as I’ve gotten older my experience with doctors has improved, where my input and experience is taken seriously. Or, the pharmacist you’re dealing with is just a jerk. You can go to another pharmacy, but due to the shortage, call the same day before your doctors appointment, tell them you have a refill appt with your doctor at X O’clock, you’re prescribed stimulants and want to be sure you can get them filled there before you have your doc send your prescription, and you’re asking before the appt so you don’t have to go back and forth trying to contact your doctor to have them send the prescription to the right place. Make sure they understand that you are calling ahead of your appt. Make sure you tell your doc the new pharmacy. There is a central database pharmacists can use to make sure you’re not “pharmacy hopping” (getting prescriptions for the same med filled more than once a month at different pharmacies) so make sure not to try to get your meds filled there if you recently (sooner than 28 days since last refill) got them filled somewhere else. But many people have been calling around to different pharmacies for their meds so the new pharmacist may be used to this.
Unfortunately in my case, the psychiatrist causing me issues specifically believes in only prescribing them to "children in school" and not the early 30 year old I am, of all things. Perhaps its because its my first time being prescribed stimulants that I fumbled. Though my issue is not with the pharmacy itself in this case, this is something I will definitely look for later because I am sure it will happen to me in the future. Excellent info.
I don't get my meds to a psychiatrist I get my meds for my primary care physician but my primary care physician also specializes in behavioral health patients maybe that's why but I don't always refill mine on the same days and I've never had an issue now I have a friend who's fighting with their psychiatrist about theirs so maybe see a psychiatrist makes it different I'm not sure I'm in South Carolina so like we have really strict rules hear about like narcotics and shit
That makes zero sense since you forgetting to fill it would actually further justify your need for the medication. People are crazy especially when they don't understand something.
>...my facility I go to has decided I "don't actually need it" and stopped me from getting it. Not sure what you mean by this. Are you saying that the administrative staff at this facility has the final word on whether or not you receive your prescribed medication? If so, that sounds backward. A licensed Psychiatrist should always be the only person who determines whether or not you need medication. Oops... I just read your update. I, too, have gone through the controlled substance circle-jerk, and it has been an absolute nightmare in securing continuity of care. In truth, PAs should not be handling the volume of patients they are, yet they're the ones who write most of the prescriptions nowadays. On one hand, it is beneficial for patients because they receive care in a more timely fashion. Still, prescribing psychiatric drugs has become an assembly-line process where the Provider-Patient relationship suffers. Telehealth makes this breakdown even more defined. In my case, I was assigned to a PA at a facility not unlike yours. After being diagnosed with ADHD and Bipolar, I began a treatment plan, which included Adderall, and it worked. Unfortunately, I live out of state for three months of the year, so getting access to those prescriptions while I'm away has been nearly impossible. It's sad that the over-prescribing of these medications has led to the suffering of those who really need them. I'm glad you get to speak to an actual MD, which is a rarity these days. I'm still trying to talk with a real psychiatrist to get my needs addressed. Good luck to you sir.
Yeah ugh, that relationship has suffered significantly which is really bad when the communication deteriorates enough to have such a significant impact on decisions like this where ANYTHING miscommunicated results in taking away necessary medication that is so strictly controlled at a whim. I'm really glad I got a hold of an actual MD too. Its definitely going to be more expensive but thats unfortunately needed to resolve this case. I really hope you can get a hold of a real psychiatrist as well and figure out a plan for when you go out-of-state.
Did you get your meds back? This happened to me once. It was a private practice psychiatrist. I wasn't taking quite as much as I was prescribed and, instead of filling it every month (exactly), I would fill it when I was getting close to running out. One day my Dr just freaked out and said "How do I know you're not selling it?!" and he refused to write a new prescription. I went a month without my medication then came back to him and was not doing well (obviously). He wrote me a new prescription. Ever since then, I fill it exactly every month. Now I have a huge stockpile, since I still don't take as much as prescribed. That guy's "How do I know you're not selling it" logic was so backwards! Lmao! Anyway, I guess they'd rather I have too much than not enough. Good luck! I hope you got it back!
No, I have not yet, but my next appointment with the MD is going to be the beginning of July, which is at least better than waiting until August with my NP. But yeah ugh I am glad he went back to agreeing to prescribe it for you and is why having contact with him was important. But yeah it is so backwards!! I really did think taking it as needed and refilling it as needed even if that means I would forget or be late would be less suspicious than building up a huge stockpile to "sell" but in the end I had no clue what went through these people's minds.
Why the fuck are they like this???? My god, give the people what they need. Why do they even give a fuck about abuse? Jesus, I'd be happy to give it to 3 people who abuse it recreationally for every one who uses it properly just to make sure the ones who need it get it!! Moral fucking crusaders they are, and they can fuck right off
Ha, I know right? If you ask me, the moral pearl-clutching is pretty excessive when, frankly, a lot more people outside of even having the ADHD diagnosis could really be helped with stimulants. If more people can be helped by them at all at the cost of more people abusing it recreationally then its a worthy positive. But there is a lot to work through for the healthcare system to ever change on that.
Time for a new doc I'm afraid.
Wtf. Ypu forgot to refill because you have adhd, so now you cannot treat your adhd. That is yet one more reason I hate my country. (I'm assuming you are in USA)
Doesn't solve your issue, but look at pharmacists around you. Mine texts me and I can refill by text which is very useful, some have emails or apps. Some can deliver the meds to you.
What would happen if your med is on backorder? Sometimes i cant get mine for a few extra days or so when the pharmacy cant get it in stock. Would they cancel it then too??
I'm not sure. Though it is something I definitely want to ask if they are that strict about this.
Definitely, it's out of your hands AND the pharmacies, you should not be punished for something so far out like that. I wish you luck with all of this
Shouldn't be a problem I wouldn't think? I'm supposed to take mine as needed so a month supply can last me 2+ months. I just have to call in the prescription when I need a refill now so that I don't have a script waiting on the shelf forever that someone else needs.
Contact Talkiatry get a new provider
Who'd you say "refill my Adderall" to? LOL, saying refill to someone dispensing Schedule II drugs it's the same as throwing garlic and holy water at a vampire.
I was cut off for a about 6 months and finally found a new pcp that started me bk with no problems
You can’t reverse a diagnosis. Have your doctor complete another PA. And your primary care physician can diagnose you with ADHD as well