Pharmacological Treatment
Pharmacological treatments do not have a long-term effect in curing ADHD and changing habits or behaviours. They are effective in alleviating ADHD symptoms and suppressing negative behaviours when the medicine is active, which can help in studying and making non-pharmacological treatments more effective.
Examples of pharmacological treatments include stimulant and non-stimulant medications.
*Note: Please refer to the patient or parent toolkit for more details on medication treatments
Points to communicate with parents/ other teachers:
01.
As medicine effectiveness is limited to medicated periods, students’ activities should be scheduled accordingly to maximize the productivity, e.g. doing homework during medicated period
02.
Ensure that parents and other teachers are aware of following through with the medication to prevent potential failure, as medication treatment is most effective if student fully adheres to the instruction of the psychiatrist
03.
Monitor the student’s performance before treatment and the side effects or effectiveness during drug titration at school and at home. If parent wishes to deviate from treatment due to side effect or other concerns, discuss with psychiatrist first
04.
Dosage can be changed under consultation with psychiatrist, along with the type of treatment (Long-acting or Short-acting)
05.
According to the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline, moderate ADHD cases will consider non-pharmacological treatment as the first-line treatment. Pharmacological treatment will be considered if others are not effective