ADHD meds - doctor out of state
My 20 year old goes to school in the Midwest. He was recently diagnosed with ADHD by a psychiatrist there and has started taking medication (with much success). His doctor cannot prescribe the meds in California and will not give him more than a 30 day supply. My son will be home for summer vacation for almost 4 months and is telling me we need to find a doctor in CA who can prescribe them for him. He does not have a primary care doctor here any more because when he went to college, we changed insurance, so he would be starting fresh. So I’m wondering how other families handle this type of situation? Primary care doc? Psychiatrist? Online prescriber? I’m not sure where to start. Thanks in advance for any leads.
Apr 12, 2023
Parent Replies
Hello! I know that in the past, if the prescription is at a large drugstore that exists in both places: like CVS for example, then the Rx can be at CVS in another state, but the refill can be picked up at CVS in this state. However, the bigger issue might be licensing of the physician. For example, let's say that he is requiring that your kid have a monthly appointment in order to get the next month's meds. While telehealth might seem a way out of that, if your kid is located in CA, the doc needs to be licensed in CA is my understanding--even when doing telehealth. Hopefully the doc is willing to put refills on the med (you can't pick a refill up too early so the gatekeeper for over-medicating is the pharmacy) and does not require telehealth appointments.
We have Kaiser insurance, and our 17-yr-old has ADHD. She was diagnosed at Kaiser, and since then has gotten Adderall through her pediatrician. A primary-care doctor should be willing to prescribe so long as you have a documented diagnosis.
Note that there is a lot of concern about college kids abusing ADHD drugs, and if your son is on stimulants, he will get pressured to share or sell them. If he's in a dorm, and maybe even if he's not, he should get a lock-box for his prescription.
Because Adderall is a controlled substance, Kaiser won't mail it to us (have to go to the pharmacy), and every refill involves signing a controlled-substance form.
There are also frequent shortages of Adderall. Although we're allowed a 100-day supply under Kaiser policy, lately we've only been able to get 30 days due to shortages.
You cannot transfer C2 controlled substance medications. Even if it is at the same chain. The prescriber must be licensed in California. Many chains will not take prescriptions for controlled substances from telehealth prescribers. Best bet is a psychiatrist or primary care doctor where you live.