Drug Agency Eases Limit on ADHD Prescriptions

An FDA ruling increasing the amount of stimulant med a doctor may prescribe per visit will save ADDers time and expense.

A December 2007 FDA ruling, which increased the amount of stimulant medication a doctor may prescribe per visit, will save ADDers much time and expense.

Previously, doctors could prescribe only a 30-day supply of those drugs classified as “schedule II” controlled substances, which meant that most patients taking ADHD medications had to schedule monthly doctor appointments. Doctors may now issue three 30-day prescriptions, post-dated, to be filled one month apart.

The single-prescription rule was intended to curb the potential for abuse, but doctors maintain that it unnecessarily limited their ability to treat patients with chronic disorders.

For more visit the Drug Enforcement Administration website at usdoj.gov/dea.

—From Spring 2008 issue of ADDitude