Another question regarding accessing ADHD medication - online options

November 4, 2022 3:29 AM

The psychiatrist I've been seeing for 10+ years had a stroke and - understandably - retired on the spot. The local (small town) psychiatrist available through my insurance won't even see me unless I agree to reduce my Adderall dose by 2/3. I've taken Adderall for 20+ years, it's been nothing but good for me. Further - as a result of a shortage several years ago - I already know what this quick reduction would mean for me, i.e., ADD symptoms return with a vengeance and crushing depression due to withdrawal. Looking for info regarding online services.

In case it matters: I can't get records from my recently retired doc - her office closed and the phone number no longer works. However, I have been in contact with the doc who diagnosed and treated me for 10 years prior. She's retired now, but can send the records she has for me.

Several website offer ADHD evaluations and/or prescriptions for meds, including Adderall, e.g., ezcare, redboxrx, medvidi, circlemedical. Same day or next day appointments are available. 20 years of jumping through various Adderall-related hoops makes this option seem way too good to be true. So, before I pay upfront for an appointment, I'm looking for info from anyone who's gone this route.

Fyi - I'm aware of the current shortage. I'll cross that bridge if/when I come to it.

posted by she's not there to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

I can't speak to the websites you mentioned, but I know that withholding medical records is illegal. You are not allowed to just close up shop without conveying records to patients or their current doctors. You can report this to the
ABPN: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and they should be able to help.
posted by ananci at 5:10 AM on November 4, 2022

I do not know how this applies specifically to ADHD meds, but I went through some fuckery with my GP (or lack thereof) and then my insurance all of a sudden required a psych to prescribe my meds (a doctor I did not have, and had never had). It turns out that depending on where you live, doctors from services such as TelaDoc (if you happen to have access to that one it's good) can actually be your prescriber. I now have a psych that I talk to 4x/year via telemedicine appointment and he writes my script. In my case because it's anxiety meds, it's a pretty straightforward affair.

All of this to say, perhaps you are not limited to the one doctor. Perhaps a telemedicine doc can help.
posted by Medieval Maven at 5:28 AM on November 4, 2022

Do you have a relationship with a GP / primary care doctor who would pick up prescribing your current meds in light of the psychiatrist retiring? This could be temporary until you find another psychiatrist or permanent if the GP is amenable.
posted by RoadScholar at 7:22 AM on November 4, 2022

I currently use a telehealth psychiatrist for my meds, including ADHD meds (Ritalin rather than Adderall for me, but the restrictions are pretty equivalent). You can absolutely get ADHD meds prescribed through telehealth providers, although you need to reside in the same state in which your provider practices. I looked for a local provider, but there's no reason I can think of that you can't look for a psychiatric provider offering telehealth appointments in the nearest large city and consider multiple treatment options that way if you want. What state are you in? This has been consistently true for me post-COVID in both Texas and Minnesota.

I would be hesitant to go with a website / provider whose advertising centers around their ability to provide ADHD scrips specifically, mind you, because that's the demographic currently getting blamed for the shortage as far as I can tell, and I would worry about Yet Another disruption in care if the legal or regulatory climate changes in these exciting times. But I don't see any reason you couldn't contact psychiatrists that don't live near you for telehealth care, or any reason that telehealth care wouldn't be a perfectly good option for you.
posted by sciatrix at 10:06 AM on November 4, 2022

I used Done for this and the only real issue was finding a pharmacy willing to fill a telehealth stimulant Rx. It was a real pain. I'd suggest calling your preferred pharmacy first to see if they're willing to do this.
posted by thatone at 10:19 AM on November 4, 2022

I appreciate help so far.

I'm in IL, downstate. Unlike Chicago, down here there seems to be a built-in suspicion that I'm using the RX for recreational purposes and/or selling it to high school kids - never mind my 20 year history. So, the caution regarding finding a pharmacy is probably relevant.
posted by she's not there at 10:49 AM on November 4, 2022

When my prescriber retired, he suggested that I talked to my regular GP, who has been subscribing it since. So if you have an existing relationship with a physician, they likely have your medical records and prescription history already and might be willing to continue subscribing, at least in the short term if not the long term.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:57 AM on November 4, 2022

You might also try using psychology today or another similar search engine to look for other psychiatrists in your state, and then see if any of them are doing telehealth appointments.
posted by litera scripta manet at 4:26 PM on November 4, 2022