People With ADHD Don't Need Drug Tests

Main Chapters:

People with ADHD have low rates of taking their medications as prescribed, as well as elevated risks for substance use disorders. This suggests that it would be a good idea to find ways to increase adherence to written prescriptions. Preliminary evidence supports the notion that better adherence converts to better outcomes. While the majority of individuals with ADHD do NOT abuse or become addicted to stimulant medications, we need to keep reducing the number of individuals who do find themselves on these destructive paths.

Research indicates that good communication and strong doctor patient alliances are our best tools against poor adherence to prescriptions and for combating substance use disorders. Relying on urine drug screening is highly problematic: often inaccurate, stigmatizing, coercive, and an invasion of privacy. I haven't found any evidence to indicate that either routine or random urine drug screens for those taking stimulants results in fewer problems or in improved mental or physical health. For those with ADHD, urine tox screens are best reserved for the emergency room, when patients are either unresponsive or extremely agitated.

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Free link to my Medium Article on ADHD and Drug Tests:

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References:

Strategies for improving ADHD medication adherence

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Patterns of Health Professionals Toward Medical and Non-medical Stimulant Use by Young Adults

Self-Management of Adherence to Prescribed Stimulants in College Students With ADD/ADHD

Stimulant medication for ADHD in opioid maintenance treatment

The Association of Oral Stimulant Medication Adherence with Work Productivity among Adults with ADHD

Frequency of False Positive Amphetamine Screens due to Bupropion Using the Syva Emit II

2015 NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health)

Systematic Evaluation of “Compliance” to Prescribed Treatment Medications and “Abstinence” from Psychoactive Drug Abuse in Chemical Dependence Programs: Data from the Comprehensive Analysis of Reported Drugs

Full Chapter list:

Streamed live July 19, 2023

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Psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author John Kruse, MD, PhD presents practical, actionable, well-researched information about treatment options that scientists and clinicians recommend for adult ADHD and other mental health conditions.

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