PBMs Restrict Access to ADHD Medications
Meet a powerful player in the “How Can I Get my ADHD Medication” game: Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). Few consumers know about them. Yet, they represent a huge and growing factor in limiting access to …
ADHD News & Research
This blog category contains posts related to ADHD research and other reports in the news.
Headlines We Love: ADHD is Biological
Okay, the headlines this week may not come as news to us. But, following the recent ADHD Hall of Shame entry, science-based reportage comes as welcome relief. The following news sources, among others, report the latest study by NIDA Director Nora Volkow and colleagues showing that, well, ADHD is real. Read all about it.
Making Progress, One ADHD Naysayer at a Time
Do you ever get discouraged about all the bad and inaccurate press about ADHD? That it is a condition that doesn’t exist? That individuals with ADHD—or their parents—are seeking the easy way out? That is, …
The Tragic Truth Of Prescription Adderall, or “Madderall”
The topic here is prescription Adderall. Specifically: Adderall is too often prescribed badly. Adderall effects on personality can include irritability, anger, lowered empathy, and self-awareness. Moreover, reckless prescribing patterns have intensified public and political …
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FAA Guidelines on ADHD — No Rx for Commercial Airline Pilots?
This post explores FAA policy guidelines on ADHD. Specifically, is it possible to be a commercial pilot while having ADHD and taking medications now—or at any time in the past—to treat ADHD symptoms? Originally published …
FAA Guidelines on ADHD — No Rx for Commercial Airline Pilots? Read More »
Janssen Quietly Ends Concerta Authorized-Generic
Concerta manufacturer Janssen officially ended availability of its authorized-generic mid-January 2023, through its Patriot subsidiary. In this post, I explain what this might mean for Concerta users. I’ll also touch upon the concurrent reported shortages …
Janssen Quietly Ends Concerta Authorized-Generic Read More »
Liquid and Chew “Ritalin”: Quillivant XR & Quillichew XR
With the introduction of a liquid and a chew, people with ADHD gained yet another novel way to benefit from stimulant medication. That’s increasingly important these days, as the Concerta authorized-generic (most recently distributed by …
Liquid and Chew “Ritalin”: Quillivant XR & Quillichew XR Read More »
10,000 Toddlers Medicated for ADHD? Part 1
To the uninitiated, it sounds horrifying: Toddlers medicated for ADHD! They’re drugging babies! Yet, if you understand the ADHD-associated range of physical symptoms—and physical risks—the reasons are obvious. If you still believe ADHD is a …
ADHD Rx Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics — Pt. 4
Part 4 in a 7-part series on genetic testing for ADHD medications—from ADHD expert Gina Pera and her scientist husband, Dr. Goat
One factor to consider when aiming for that sweet spot of medication effectiveness: your specific gene variants that affect drug response.
That is, do your gene variants mean that you metabolize drugs slowly, normally, or very fast?
That’s where genetic tests can come in handy: They identify these gene variants—that is, variations on a common gene.
In turn, this information helps you to:
1. Determine what dosage you should start with, and
2. Decide the order in which medications should be evaluated.
This information can be especially valuable if you are
—Beginning drug treatment for ADHD,
—Considering changing to a different drug, or
—Introducing an additional drug to your regimen.
Note: Information from these tests will not be a “silver bullet.” It is simply a starting point. The last post in this series will examine how I might use my personal results.
10,000 Toddlers Medicated for ADHD? Part 2
Toddlers medicated for ADHD. It’s a hot topic in the news lately. Did you miss Part 1? 10,000 Toddlers Medicated for ADHD? Part 1 Here in Part II, I continue to educate the public …
