Stupid Rules For Getting Adderall

Symptoms and Treatments Medications
#1

Sadly, my insurance has been giving me A LOT of trouble about getting Adderall.

Not only do I need a prescription, I need to have my doctor call the company and give them the go-ahead for giving me the pills. Both government insurance AND private insurance makes you do this nonsense. Otherwise the insurance firm refuses to dispense the pills to you. They refuse to cover you otherwise.

This is a huge inconvenience, given that my doctor is often not available, is busy and over-worked and that it takes a long time for her to call them and for them to approve me. And she has to do this every six months. Everytime I get a new drug or change insurance firms or change doctors, I have to go through this nonsense.

Do you also have to deal with this BS? This causes non-stop drama nearly every single time I pick my pills up. Cause of this, it often takes weeks for me to get Adderall.

#2

Hi New Yorker,

That sounds really frustrating for you. I wish the office had a more expedient procedure; you could ask what you can do to make the process better, but if the problem is staffing or something they still need to know that you need your med refills to be timely. If a medicine is a controlled substance, it should only be difficult for the criminals to get, not the patients!

I sent a text to my son to ask what he has to do, but he hasn't responded yet.

For methylphenidate dispensing is also controlled. I call to have my doctor write the prescription every month, which she mails to me fairly promptly. I take it to the pharmacy in person because they can't phone in for refills like other medicines.This has been my routine for as long as I can remember. I see the doctor every six months, more if needed.

Who else can comment on Adderall?

#3

NewYorker, my son reports that he used to have to go to his doctors office by bus across the city to get his prescription. For the first time recently his doctor was able to send the prescription to his pharmacy and my son just picked it up there. There has been a very recent change in the law, whether it’s the FDA or the state of California I don’t know.

#4

I take Adderall IR & have been with the same pdoc that originally diagnosed my ADHD over a decade ago. I have to call his office. a few days in advance ( it’s recommended, anyway) & let his secretaries know I need a refill of the Adderall. Then they give me a call back & let me know when the script is ready to be picked up at the office. I go pick it up, and I use a smaller, independent hometown pharmacy to fill it as the main pharmacist there orders my preferred generic brand of Adderall ( in the amount needed) for me each month in advance, which has cut so much frustration out of hunting around for it at different pharmacies etc!

#5



Mackee said:

I take Adderall IR & have been with the same pdoc that originally diagnosed my ADHD over a decade ago. I have to call his office. a few days in advance ( it's recommended, anyway) & let his secretaries know I need a refill of the Adderall. Then they give me a call back & let me know when the script is ready to be picked up at the office. I go pick it up, and I use a smaller, independent hometown pharmacy to fill it as the main pharmacist there orders my preferred generic brand of Adderall ( in the amount needed) for me each month in advance, which has cut so much frustration out of hunting around for it at different pharmacies etc!
Mackee~I know this thread is from 4 months ago, but I was hoping you could tell me what your preferred brand of generic Adderall is. It seems some work better than others. Thanks!
#6

I have been on Adderall for about 7 or 8 years and it has been the cause of so much stress. I found the biggest problem to be if I was out of town, of course. Prescriptions are not honored from one state to another. So have to pay big to see a doc in another state who treats me like I'm a drug addict. I have left their office in tears because they refuse to write for my full Rx and only what they're comfortable with. Now, at least, I have a doc who writes 3 prescriptions so I only have to pick them up every 3 months. I wish that after you've been taking the med for a period of time without any problems that they would lighten up and allow refills. ugh!! Feel like it rules my life sometimes!

#7

Adhdgrownup...You might have the Secret Adderall Police after you for admitting that in public lol. It really gets ridiculous that they give the most trouble to people with adhd. It is a system of regulation that unfairly penalizes people with a legitimate condition by creating higher costs and more frustration to those who suffer -

*Travel to monthly appointment (which some have to take off work for) and paying for doctor visit

*Personal integrity evaluation and scepticism (we didn't come up with the treatment for adhd). God forbid that we actually use the recommended medication to improve out lives without the very same system calling into question our integrity or character evaluation to see if we are potential drug addicts.

*The military uses Amphetamine for soldiers. But anyone taking Amphetamine for adhd cannot join the military. Quite a double standard.

* War on drugs? Which ones? The ones that actually help people to keep jobs, keep life manageable, improve relationships and pay taxes?

I am really frustrated with a system that creates more havoc for people struggling with adhd. This is where advocacy makes a significant difference for everyone involved.

#8

Lostgirl~Well said. Yes, you're right "adderall police." It makes perfect sense, though, because I can't fill the Rx's one day before they're due to be refilled. The pharmacy won't allow it nor the insurance co. However, the way he writes them is, he puts the current date on all three and on the second two he writes, "fill one month from date & two months from date." I really apprciate his effort to make it a bit less difficult for his patients.

Total agreement with your comment,"I am really frustrated with a system that creates more havoc for people struggling with adhd. This is where advocacy makes a significant difference for everyone involved." I wonder where to find advocacy when needed, though.

#9

Well getting involved with Chadd is a great place to start on many levels.

#10

A somewhat easier time here in Canada...universal health care does not cover prescriptions, but private plans through work do. However, .the pharmacy is very restrictive on how it is dispensed. For a child, parent AND child's health cards need to be submitted on record and ID needs to be shown on pick up. Pdocs reluctant to prescribe Adderall due to the potential abuse by teens and are much quicker to prescribe Vyvanse. My 16 yr old has tried many different meds and only Adderall works effectively with no side effects. Vyvanse makes her feel intensely focused, but detached from the rest of the world. She claims it is a very disturbing feeling. Right now 3 kids with 3 different meds. The other 2 are on Concerta and Biphentin.

The only time I think the pharmacies and doctors get it wrong is when they are adjusting meds or dosages and they prescribe a full 30 days worth. I have had to return so many almost full prescriptions because the dose has changed or they are trying a new med! Now I ask the pharmacist to only dispense a week at a time from the prescription written. That way I don't have extra meds hanging around the house. In the past I have been as well stocked as a pharmacy!

Do you think they are extra sensitive about Adderall?

#11

3Gkids~Yes, they are especially sensitive about Adderall. I swear I've been looked at many times with that "drug addict" look. I hate it! Adderall is the only med that has worked for me. Vyvance didn't do it. Here in the U.S. you can't get only a weeks worth at a time. It has to be the whole month or you forfeit the rest. My doc just switched my Rx from short acting Adderall to Extended release twice a day. We'll see how that goes.

#12

Lostgirl~Can you tell me more about the help you've gotten from CHADD? Is it a good place to help you find counseling?


#13

Adhdgrownup-

I'm sure glad you are patient with replies because sometimes it is impossible for me to keep up hehe. Chadd is great for local support groups. Many area's do not have them because there are not enough volunteers or people to run the meetings. I am struggling just with keeping up leading my writers group. Anyhow, the more local intervention by groups (adult and children) the better. From there you can get great references for doctors, counselors and activist information. At a face to face level, it makes all the difference. They also have listings by state of adhd counselors.

#14

Yes, I'm patient, of course, because I know how hard it can be to keep up with everything and how I can be slow getting back. I have attended a support group that is connected to CHADD. I wasn't sure how, though. I want to go back, but, I guess, I wasn't finding it that helpful. I also don't think I gave it much of a chance. But I noticed there was a CHADD office nearby, though, and wondered if I should stop in or call to see what services they offer or if maybe I could volunteer somehow.