I am a licensed pharmacy technician and I work at one of the most popular drug chains in America, CVS. As a pharmacy technician, it is my job to pull drugs, fill prescriptions, then ring the patient up and inform them of possible side affects or ask if they have any questions about their medication. There isn't a day that goes by when someone doesn't drop off a prescription for a drug to deal with their child's ADHD. I see it all the time and it's always the same.
At drop off, a tired mother turns in a prescription while she pleads with her child not to touch anything. The medication is a popular one, Ritalin, and I verify the patient's date of birth. The child is only six years old. I watch the child as I fill the prescription. The mother is looking at something on a shelf and he is anxiously trying to get her attention about whether or not he can have some gum.
“Mommy?” He tugs on her shirt. “Mommy!”
“Not, now,” She murmurs, looking at cough medicine, probably for another child. I finish filling the prescription and hand it off to the pharmacist to check that it's correct. It's handed back and I walk to the register to ring up the mother and son. The child is perfectly amicable as he attempts to sign for the prescription himself and carefully hand me the money his mother gives him to hand to me. She asks common questions, what's the best time for him to take it, does he need to eat with it, and so on. Afterward they leave together and the pharmacist comes to stand next to me. I ask her if she thinks the child needs the medication and she just shakes her head and we go back to work.
I think that it's a waste and a mistake but I don't say anything. They wouldn't give children medicine if it could harm them, would they? There's a nagging thought in the back of my mind but I ignore it and just move on. After all, it doesn't effect me. Or so I thought. Then the child I babysit was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed medication. The mother called me, late one night and asked if I thought her son was ADHD. I laughed it off and told her that he was only five and reminded her that while babysitting I had never had any problems handling him. A week goes by and she calls me with an update, so pleased about the new medication because, “he's just doing so much better!” and we agree that I'll come babysit the next night.
When I see him the next night the difference is startling. Before he would rush to give me a hug but now he remains seated in front of the television and merely waves. I jokingly ask about my hug and he slides off the couch and trudges over to give me one. Then he returns to his seat and continues to watch the television. The parents leave and I ask him what he wants to do, play Connect Four, play Tag, color, or maybe play with the ball but he just looks at me lifelessly in response. He shrugs and so we sit and watch maybe one cartoon before he tells me that he's tired. I've been there for a half hour, it's only just now 8:30 PM. I begin to suggest a game but he does look tired so I carry him upstairs and put him to bed.
Before he was put on the medication we would be up until 10:00 PM, playing cards and running around the house. I would have to be stern when it was time for bed and usually tickle him into submission. We always laughed and had a good time but now he is dull and lifeless. I begin to worry that maybe the mother is accidentally giving too much or at the wrong time. I go to the medicine cabinet to check but the dose is right for his age and it says clearly on the bottle to give in the morning, which most doctors agree to be the best time. I worry about it but decide that maybe he just had a long day at school and it wore him out. But I babysit three more times and he is always the same. So do these children actually have it and need the medicine or not?
For those of you who don't know, Ritalin and other stiumulants prescribed to children as young as five are Schedule II controlled substances, the most addictive substances that are still legal. Just one class away, Schedule I are the illegal substances, such as heroin and LSD.
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