Assignment:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that all of us will be treating as future psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners. The stimulant medications utilized to treat ADHD can be problematic if not managed appropriately as seen in this patient. The treatment of ADHD is complicated by risks for misuse and diversion of prescription stimulants (Belanger, 2018). ADHD can lead to poor academic success if not treated appropriately. However, the prescribing of Adderall XR for a newly diagnosed college student should require a more entailed thought process based on the potential for noncompliance and self-medicating as represented by this patient.
Improperly taking Adderall, self-medicating with multiple doses simultaneously, can lead to an array of adverse effects such as paranoia, anxiety, inability to sleep and possibly headaches. The options for ADHD can be the prescribing of a a different psychostimulant such as Vyvanse with intentions of blocking the risks of Adderall XR use. For example, Vyvanse is an inert substance meaning it metabolizes within the body to become active, resulting in a lower risk of abuse compared to Adderall. As providers, cons and pros need to be considered because prescription stimulant misuse and diversion are interrelated behaviors: diversion increases the availability of stimulants for misuse, and persons who misuse are also more likely to divert (Garcia, 2022).