How long is it nessicary to wait to see the doc for stimulant meds as well as refilling them? Like is it ok to go to the doc a week or 2 early and get a scrip filled a week or 2 early? For the summer I'm staying in a city that is several hours from where I usually live, so it's tricky to get to the doc sometimes.

stimulant meds are almost all controled substances in almost all countrys and many docs are reluctant to fill additional scripts or fill scripts early because of the potential for abbuse of them meds. You may find however that if you explain the situation there may be some accomodations avalable to you. Best bed is to call your doc and kick back and chat with them about it.

They don't do actual refills on stimulant meds. I think they will only fill them every 30 days too. Some MDs prewrite scripts though.

I think it depends on how accommodating your doctor is. They can't call in refills for stimulants, but my doctor will mail me a refill prescription without me coming in. This may have something to do with the fact that he's so busy that he's hard to get an appointment with. Not to be cynical, but I suspect that doctors who have more time on their hands may want to increase their income by having you come in constantly.

in the US at least, class II medications (all stimulants) are heavily restricted.

a doctor may not:

write more than is intended for one month supply
call or fax a pharmacy a class II script
indicate any refills on the script
want to write you stims because the DEA dosen't respect their judgement

a new consultation is supposedly required for each prescription obtained. this means once a month. during the initial titration, however, pharmacological efficacy needs to be evaluated almost daily, and log books or phone consultations are useful. i like to harness my "chemical tenacity" to good ends, thus i end up giving my healthcare provider a lot of information. for a beginner on these meds, i'd almost outright recommend a psychiatrist who specializes in this area. most primary care physicians have not the testing resources, nor the very time it takes to accurately diagnose and treat such an all-encompassing disorder. it takes weeks to get an appointment with my overworked physician, and when i do get one, i have a multi hour wait, on time or not. when i do get seen, it feels rushed.

as for increasing income by seeing you for a script refill, that's kinda bogus. (unless, for some reason, you pay out of pocket)

reimbursement rates for american doctors who participate in major health plans are so poor that it's no wonder they are so beleagured. every private practice would like to keep their charts active and the appointment book full, but overbooking shouldn't be necessary to make ends meet.

get a referral if necessary, and go see a psychiatrist. they know these meds, they know the side effects, they know the disorder. you're less likely to be stuck with the "drug seekers" stigma as they will likely recommend the drugs to you. they get reimbursed much more than the PCP does. usually appointments run longer to give some time for some discussion. they'll also never surprise you with a prostate exam.

anyway...i ramble, sorry. digression is the way these forums grow, though, like the rhizomatous humulus lupulus we're underground and spreading rapidly, throwing up heady vines all over the place. oh yeah...

I don't know about where you live, but in the major metropolitan city where I live, most non-HMO psychiatrists insist on out-of-pocket payment up front. If the patient has health insurance that will cover the treatment, it's the patient's responsibility to submit claims, hassle with the insurance company, etc. So, yes, I do believe that doctors who aren't sufficiently busy have a financial incentive to insist on frequent visits.

My doctor just mailed me a prescription for a 60-day supply of Adderall. So some doctors will definitely do it.

If you have a good trusting relationship with your doctor, he or she may be willing to date pre-written prescriptions because of your situation.

I tried to get a prescription from the same practice when my doctor was out of town....this was for my son who was away at school. The doctor on call was very concerned about covering his back, even though he had our records. They need to be cautious when writing those kinds of prescriptions. Even though it is an inconvenience, I think it is a practice that protects us all in the long run.

Thank you so much, everyone! I actually did speak to my doc about my situation a little over a month ago when I was in for a visit, and he said he would try to make it refillable, but then he forgot. He said he wasn't sure if the pharms would refill it though. Also, he was really busy that day and I didn't even think about asking if he would prewrite a script.

The main reasons I'm asking these questions is because my doc was out of town so I had to be almost without meds for a week and also because I read somewhere on this site that someone couldn't refill thier script because they weren't 2/3 done with the one thay had before. So that kind of confused me.

MTMT, did your doc prewrite 2 scrips.?

My doctor didn't prewrite any scripts. I called his office and told his assistant I needed a refill and his assistant mailed me a prescription for 60 pills (since I take one pill a day, that's a two month supply). I don't think all doctors are so accommodating. Also, since I live in a major metropolitan area and am not using insurance coverage, I have a large choice of doctors. So, if my doctor wasn't so accommodating, I'm sure I could find another one who was.

Unfortunately, if you are in an area with few specialists who will prescribe stimulants and/or if you have insurance restrictions as to who you can see, you may be stuck with a doctor who is not so accommodating. It never hurts to ask though.