A controlled substance is federally regulated by the DEA and prescribed for treatment of certain diagnoses. Your prescriber mayrecommend you take one of these medications listed as a controlled substance. Examples of such medications are stimulants for thetreatment of ADHD, benzodiazepines for the treatment of anxiety and sleep aids for insomnia. There is a significant risk for thesemeds to be misused or abused. For that reason, there are rules regarding the prescribing of these medications that may not apply toother medications you are taking. These procedures are being used for our clinic to ensure that these medications can be prescribedsafely and effectively for you.
1. Your prescriber will review the risks these medications pose for you prior to prescribing. Some risks include high bloodpressure, becoming more irritable or agitated, worsening of other mental illnesses, and sudden death if you have a past orcurrent heart condition. Your provider may require you have cardiac testing done prior to starting a stimulant. Your providermay also decide that the health risks of taking the medication outweigh the benefits.
2. The state of Iowa monitors the prescribing of these medications closely. Our clinic routinely checks a pharmacy report thattracks this type of medication for each patient. If you are obtaining this medication from another provider, it will appear onthis report. The prescribers in this clinic will not prescribe this type of medication if you are getting it from another provider.
3. Stimulants, benzodiazepines and other controlled substances are unsafe when used with street drugs or alcohol. Yourprovider may request you obtain a drug screen to check for street drugs or alcohol in your system. Without the drug screen,the provider may not feel comfortable prescribing this type of medication.
4. You are responsible for keeping your prescriptions and medications in a safe place. If you lose your medications or takethem more often than prescribed, this will be a reason to discontinue further prescriptions of this medication.
5. Symptoms of difficulty focusing, difficulty concentrating, and hyperactivity are sometimes treatable with other groups ofmedications. Your provider may require you to try alternatives before prescribing any controlled substances.
6. If your provider is not prescribing medications in the way you prefer, and you choose to seek treatment with anotherprovider, our office will no longer prescribe medications for you.
7. You will need to be seen every 3 months by your prescribing provider. Every other visit may be done via telehealth. If, youmiss your scheduled appointment without proper notification, medications will not be refilled until you set up a follow upappointment (typically scheduled within 30 days). Two missed appointments, with no notification, may lead to beingdischarged from our practice, and thus no refills of these types of medications. This will be at provider discretion.
8. Your controlled substances will not be filled after 12 p.m. on Friday, your refill request will be processed on the followingbusiness day. If you have no refills left on your prescription, please call the office prior to running out of your medication.
Our main propriety is the safety and welfare of our patients while working with you to achieve your best functioning and optimalhealth. These policies and procedures are in place to allow for clear expectations between prescribers and our patients. Yoursignature below is to show these guidelines have been reviewed with you and you understand these policies and procedures.