ADHD Treatment

Every patient taking such medications must have a yearly well child exam and a medication check appointment at least once every three months. This means that, at a minimum, your child will need to be seen four times a year. We will monitor your child for proper growth and development, medication effectiveness, possible side effects, and potential need to change medication or dosage.

Please note that an interim visit for a sick appointment (cold, sore throat, abdominal pain, etc.) does not replace the need for your child to be seen for a three month medication check appointment. We need to schedule an appropriate amount of time for these visits in order to provide the best care for your child. If these visits are missed, the physician will discontinue use of the medication.

We require monitoring of the symptoms and side effects every 6 months via the use of the Vanderbilt questionnaires. In addition we require a behavioral screen completed at each ADHD visit, and with each medication refill.

Forms & Documents

We must receive all Vanderbilt and other evaluation forms from parents, legal guardians and teachers prior to scheduling an initial ADHD evaluation or medication check appointment. For new patients, we must also have all old records prior to scheduling an appointment.

To get started, please complete a Medical Record Release to send to your child’s previous pediatrician.

Medication

Stimulant medications (Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, Vyvanse, etc.) are classified as controlled substances by the FDA and closely monitored by the DEA. In fact, these high powered stimulants are classified by the DEA as a Schedule II drug. Therefore, these medications cannot be automatically refilled, and your prescription cannot be phoned or faxed to a pharmacy.

In addition, these medications must be picked up in person (they cannot be mailed). You must present a photo ID and sign a controlled substances agreement for your controlled medication prescriptions.

If a consulting specialist suggests a change in medication or dosage, a written order must be sent to our office before any such change will be made.

Prescription Refill Requests
You must allow a minimum of four business days for a prescription refill. This means that if you request a refill on Friday, it may not be available until the following Thursday. It is your responsibility to plan ahead. Please do not wait until you are out of medication before calling for a refill.

Take a moment to verify with your insurance to see if there is a 90-day mail in option. If so, please let our office know if you want to use this service. This service can only be used if the dosage has been stable for at least 3 months, there are not frequent dosage changes, and your child is not having any current difficulties.

Insurance Coverage

Not all health insurance plans will cover initial or medication check appointments for ADHD. The parent or legal guardian bringing the child to the office for the visit is responsible for any charges not covered by insurance. Even though your insurance may not cover medication check appointments, they are still a required for treatment.

Treatment Checklist

  1. Send us your child’s medical records (Medical Record Release)
  2. Complete and submit Vanderbilt evaluations for both parent and teacher
  3. After we’ve received your signed agreement, child’s medical records and the parent/teacher Vanderbilt evaluations, please call to schedule your appointment.