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No.��

Our current policy requires comprehensive psychological testing, even if you have had medication for several years from an outside provider.

We require documentation for safety.

Stimulant medication is highly valued and sold illegally as a study aid in many post-secondary academic institutions across the country. Our documentation��policy aims to provide safeguards for��students and campus by providing medication access to only��those who demonstrate medical necessity though psychological testing. Our policy is similar to many other university health centers in the U.S.

Its complicated.

Yes, you can theoretically fill a stimulant medication prescription at a pharmacy in �鶹ӰԺ, but��medical providers will not typically not prescribe ongoing stimulant medications across state lines.

This is because stimulant medications are classified as Schedule II substances by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)��and come with additional rules for prescribing. Controlled substances cannot be prescribed in Colorado unless your provider has a license to practice in Colorado. As a result, almost all out-of-state students��who need ongoing stimulant medication choose to find a new prescriber within Colorado to continue their stimulant prescription.

No.

An ADHD screening questionnaire does not qualify. Students must have comprehensive psychological testing. This type of testing is typically administered by a psychologist, takes a few hours, contains multiple measures��and includes at least one measure of direct performance on a task of attention or memory.

The most common type of measure for ADHD is a called a Continuous Performance Test (CPT; e.g. the Integrated Visual and Auditory (IVA) CPT, Conners’ CPT, or the Test of Variables Attention (TOVA)). Other common measures are general intelligent quotient tests (e.g. The Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)), or neuropsychological testing (e.g. Weschler Memory Scale (WMS)).

It's complicated.

CAPS providers can prescribe your non-stimulant medications if you do not meet the CAPS stimulant policy criteria. However, this is not preferred and generally avoided in order to provide you with the highest quality of care. If you have multiple medications (including a stimulant medication) and do not meet the criteria for the CAPS stimulant policy, it is best to receive comprehensive care for all of your medications from one psychiatric provider. Please see our thriving campus website for a list of community providers: https://colorado.thrivingcampus.com/

Many students choose to use community providers in �鶹ӰԺ who tend to have fewer requirements when prescribing stimulant medication.

Please see our thriving campus website for a list of community providers: https://colorado.thrivingcampus.com/

We recommend starting early, well before you will need medication.

Please plan for a minimum��of two weeks for your documentation to be reviewed once submitted. Once approved, you will be invited to schedule an initial appointment with psychiatry staff at CAPS.

Initial psychiatry appointments often fill quickly and availability can sometimes take several weeks on top of the time needed for documentation review.

We recommend arranging for medication several weeks before any refills are needed.

For in-state students that have an urgent need, please contact your local provider for a refill.

For out-of-state students,��many are able to ask their out-of-state providers for a “bridge prescription.” Bridge prescriptions typically grant one last refill while care locally can be arranged. Please note that bridge prescriptions are entirely at the discretion of the provider.

Many students can often find psychiatry openings within a week or two, depending on the time in the semester: https://colorado.thrivingcampus.com/.

Community psychiatric providers tend to fill up when the semester is at its peak. As an alternative to psychiatric providers, some students also obtain prescriptions from local primary care practices in �鶹ӰԺ.

There are multiple medications that can be used for ADHD, but broadly they are divided into stimulant and non-stimulant medication.

Stimulant medications��tend to the most robust effects on attention deficit and hyperactivity symptoms��and can work quickly (some people find their symptoms improve at least somewhat after 1 or 2 doses). There are drawbacks to stimulants, however. First and foremost they are controlled substances��and have the potential to become addictive if taken in nonprescribed fashion. Common side effects include insomnia, decreased appetite and cardiac symptoms (rapid pulse, high blood pressure, palpitations and other arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death is an extremely rare but known possibility). Because of these potentially dangerous effects your psychiatric provider will check closely to verify that there is no personal or family history of early cardiac symptoms, and you may be requested to get an EKG or consult with cardiology before a stimulant is started.��Your psychiatric provider will have a detailed discussion about benefits/risks/side effects before a prescription is sent.

Non-stimulant medications also have a role in treating ADHD, either in conjunction with stimulants or on their own. Unlike stimulants, they typically do not take effect immediately, rather they need to be taken consistently over multiple weeks before their effects become noticeable. These medicines are not considered controlled substances, and they are not thought to have addictive effect. Some non-stimulants do have side effects similar to stimulants (insomnia, decreased appetite, potential cardiac effects although not to the degree seen with stimulants). Non-stimulants come from multiple different classes of medication, so it is��difficult to provide a full accounting of side effects for all of them in an FAQ, but your psychiatric provider will provide this information at length if a medication is being considered.

In general, finding the right ADHD treatment is a very individualized process. Your provider will work with you to find the best agent for you and your situation.

Students are welcome to schedule a psychiatry appointment to consult with a provider on ADHD medication. Just know that doing so will not yield a prescription until the student has

1) successfully completed the ADHD documentation review process (minimum of 2 weeks for review once psychological testing documentation has been submitted) AND

2) the student has completed a full psychiatric intake session, which may be in addition to the consult.

Students should also know that this consult may consume one of the covered CAPS sessions provided to enrolled students.

Yes.

The Apothecary Pharmacy at Wardenburg can fill your prescription for ADHD medication.

No.

Providers at Wardenburg do not prescribe stimulant medication for ADHD.

Please schedule a schedule an appointment with a CAPS psychiatric provider or find a qualified primary care or psychiatric provider in the community

While individual needs can vary, students should plan to see a CAPS psychiatry provider every 3 months to obtain refills.

Initial intake sessions with a psychiatry provider��must be done in person.

Subsequent visits can be done��remotely for refills.