I’ve had my share of hassles filling stimulant prescriptions. Maybe you have, too. It’s not always easy.
There was the 2012 shortage, when pharmacy after pharmacy dismissed me with a simple, “yeah, we don’t have that.”
Even under normal circumstances, I’ve felt limited to whatever generic the pharmacy happens to stock. I recently switched to name-brand Ritalin, and that’s when I promised myself: no more chain pharmacies ever.
After meeting with my doctor and asking her to indicate ‘name brand only’ on my prescription, I drove around to several pharmacies. Most — in our area, at least — stock a generic methylphenidate from Mallinckrodt. Many people have reported issues with their generic Concerta, and from my experience their Ritalin substitute is no better.
I don’t mean to be cynical here, but your local chain pharmacy probably won’t entertain this conversation. Don’t expect to save a trip by calling to ask about special orders, either. They want to see you, your prescription, and often your driver’s license before having a chat about which stimulants they have in stock.
Not only that, Rite Aid, CVS, and a nearby hospital all promised around seven business days for a special order to arrive. Thanks to federal regulations around when doctors can write stimulant prescriptions, that lag time would mean going meds-free for a few days.
My advice: stop giving these pharmacies your business. ADHD adults don’t have time or energy to waste on crappy generic drugs and pharmacy techs who view us first and foremost as potential criminals.
Instead, visit your local independent pharmacy. During my fruitless search for Ritalin, I remembered a small pharmacy I’d visited months earlier. (My kid bit through his lip the morning after the April riots, and this place gave us antibiotics when every chain pharmacy was shuttered with National Guard troops out front.)
My indie pharmacy didn’t have name-brand Ritalin either, but the pharmacist promised it the very next day. When I picked it up, she told me she’d keep it in stock for me if I liked it. She acknowledged the differences in generic vs. name-brand drugs, especially psychiatric drugs, for which a tiny variance can have a huge impact.
In other words, she treated me like a customer, someone whose satisfaction and happiness were important to her. She even remembered me the next month and asked how my experience had been with the new medication.
Of course, not everyone feels they can afford a name-brand drug over the generic, especially if insurance doesn’t cover it. In that case, you may want to seek out a supportive pharmacist who’s willing to order in a few different generics for you to try. Some people even prefer a specific generic over the name brand, only to be thrown for a loop when their pharmacy changes the manufacturer without notice — as happened when Mallinckrodt replaced Sandoz as the generic of choice for Ritalin.
Whatever solution you choose, you ought to reduce your overall stress level, as well as the number of administrative tasks associated with filling your prescription. I’ve always thought it a cruel irony that maintaining stimulant prescriptions requires so much of our executive functioning capabilities.
After years of struggle, I couldn’t be more pleased to have a friendly, helpful pharmacy at my disposal. They offer free delivery, a one-day turnaround on special orders, and they’ll keep my name-brand meds in stock for me because I’m a regular customer. Finally, a customer experience that doesn’t feel like the universe is conspiring against me.
How about you? Have you struggled to keep your prescription filled consistently? What solutions have you found?
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