ADD/ADHD

---

Newly diagnosed patients will be seen several times: 

• Initial visit 
• 1 month
• 3 months
• 6 months

• Once stable on their medication, your child will be seen every 3 to 6 months. If there is a change in your child’s medication, behavior, or symptoms, a temporary increase in office visits may occur.  If your child receives any mental health services outside of our office, please sign a release in their office to have all reports forwarded to your child’s primary doctor. 

•  Medication Refill Requests Medication refill requests can only be made by the parent/caregiver through our patient portal or by calling our office at 410.9600.

• We highly suggest you make your request at least 1 week in advance.  We ask that you do not wait until you have only 1 or 2 pills left. We do not accept refill requests from your pharmacy. Requests can take 3 to 5 business days to process. 

Initial assessment for ADHD must be IN PERSON and initial Vanderbilt Assessments MUST be completed by both parent and teacher.  

• A pre-medication baseline should be established for common side effects associated with pharmacotherapy for ADHD (eg, appetite, sleep pattern, headaches, abdominal pain). Baseline sleep problems do not appear to predict stimulant-related sleep problems and may actually improve with stimulant therapy.

• At the start of medication, Dr. McNeill will discuss the process and expected length of time (ie, one to three months) involved in determining the best medication, dose, and frequency of administration; this includes:  the frequency of follow-up, the information that will be needed at follow-up visits or phone calls and behaviors that the caregivers should monitor and report

The first follow-up appointment will be scheduled 1 month after initiation of medication intervention. 

• The frequency of follow-up during the maintenance phase may range from every three to six months depending upon adherence, coexisting conditions, and the persistence of symptoms.  
• More frequent visits generally are necessary for children with coexisting conditions. In addition to office visits every three to six months, telephone monitoring should occur at the time of medication refill requests. Communication with teachers or other school personnel can be tailored to individual patient and caregiver needs.  
• Monitoring adverse effects — The child's height, weight, blood pressure, and pulse should continue to be monitored during the maintenance stage. 
• Medication adjustments may be necessary to accommodate changes in the child's lifestyle or activities. Long-acting medications may interfere with sleep onset in adolescents who sleep later on weekend mornings than they do during the week.

Maintenance on Medications:  

If your child is doing well on the medication regimen, they can be be scheduled every 3 months for an ADHD Telehealth follow up visit.    Patients must have an in-person office visit at least 2 times a year (yearly wellness visit can be one of them) so that growth parameters and vital signs are monitored.

It is IMPERATIVE that we have completed assessments 1 day prior to any Telehealth ADD/ADHD appointments.  Failure to send assessments may lead to rescheduling the appointment.  Forms can be found below and on the patient portal.