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My Health
· 1
My
Health
Volume 11, Issue 2 2012
Serving Hoosier Healthwise
and Healthy Indiana Plan
Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage
PAID
Walla Walla,
WA
Permit No. 44
ANTHEM BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD
PO BOX 6144
INDIANAPOLIS IN 46206-6144
New treatments and procedures
Helping you get
care that is safe
and right for you
When it comes to the latest information
about medical care, we work to review
it quickly. We have teams of health care
experts who review medical, mental health
and drug policies on an ongoing basis.
We look at a variety of resources, including:
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Medical journals
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Government policies and procedures
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Studies that show the effects of the
new technology on long-term health
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Doctors and other health care experts
We update our health policies and even
create new ones to address many new
treatments. Helping you stay healthy is
our No. 1 goal.
If you have a child with attention-
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
who takes a drug prescribed by a doctor
for it, finding the right dose is key. The
right dose can help your child get the
full effect of the drug with fewer side
effects. But what amount is right? To
find out, your child’s doctor may have
to make dose changes from time to time
or try different drugs.
Does your child have ADHD?
Learn how to
help the medicine
work its best
To be safe when using ADHD drugs:
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Your child must take the drug exactly
as prescribed.
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When your child first starts on an
ADHD drug, you should set up an
office visit within the first month
with the doctor who prescribed the
drug. This helps the doctor know that
the drug is working well.
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Pay attention to how your child first
responds to the drug. Ask your child’s
teacher as well. Since the best dose of
each drug is not decided by a child’s
size or weight alone, reports from
parents and teachers help the doctor
make sure that your child gets the
right dose.
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Track progress using the drug over a
period of time. There are checklists
and rating scales that can help you
do this. Ask the doctor about how
to get them.
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See the doctor who prescribed the drug
at least two more times within the next
nine months to help make sure the
drug is working well. These two visits
could happen during well visits.
What to expect as your child grows
The dose may need to change. It’s
important to see the doctor for ongoing
well visits and use this time to talk about
any ADHD drug your child takes.
•
Tell your child’s doctor if your child
is taking other medicines (even those
sold over the counter) or vitamins.
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Watch how well your child progresses
in school, at home and overall.
•
Call the doctor who prescribed
the drug if you have any concerns
or questions.
Source: American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry website:
Practice Parameters for the Assessment
and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with ADHD
(2007): aacap.org