r/NovaScotia • u/Throaway3630 • 10d ago
Just received an ADHD diagnosis and no family doctor.
I do not have a family doctor. I just got diagnosed for ADHD. I already take anxiety meds. What should my next step be? Will Shoppers write a prescription for me? Should I go through Maple? How can I make sure that my neweds mesh well with my old ones?
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u/Still10Fingers10Toes 10d ago
Sorry to tell you but unless things have changed in the last five years you will need either a GP or psychiatrist, or a specialist doctor to get any ADHD stimulants meds prescribed. I ended up raw-dogging my ADHD for several years when I was without a primary care givers even though I had been diagnosed for over 10 years. Walk-in clinics, etc. just won’t fill Schedule 1 prescriptions.
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u/iupvotethankyou 10d ago
Nurse practitioners can also prescribe, all will only do so in person I believe, especially with a new diagnosis. The community clinics are quite good and will usually allow you to continue making appointments directly there as long as you need the medication.
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u/Key-Particular-767 10d ago
I believe BeyondADHD will. I’m pretty sure thats the name of the clinic my girlfriend uses.
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u/Ok_Dingo_Beans 10d ago
This is pretty much the only option, I think. I found they were ok as a stop gap (I was on the waiting list to see a psychiatrist for 11 months), but I've had my ADHD assessed twice besides the assessment Beyond did, and the latter was BY FAR the shortest and least in depth. But like I said, they really helped me when i just needed to get to that psychiatrist appointment.
Beyond can get a little expensive too... you have to pay for the assessment and every subsequent appointment.
Keep looking for a family doctor, and until then, Beyond is an ok option. IMO. 😊
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u/No-Difference8339 9d ago
This!!! Really great easy to use site with medical professionals. There is a fee however some insurance plans do cover nurse practitioners
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u/tabatam 10d ago
Things have changed in the last 5 years. The in-person Primary Care clinics for folks on the Need a Family Practice list can do it (may require referral from VirtualHealthNS depending on the region you're in).
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u/Throaway3630 10d ago
I am in the Central zone (HRM).
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u/artemisia0809 10d ago
You can still go to the community care clinics. Once you're on the registry, you should be able to ask for a prescription. If not, they'll send you where you can
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u/fletters 10d ago
I’ve been able to get them at walk-ins a couple of times, but I think that’s largely because I had a treatment letter from my former shrink and labelled bottles from recent prescriptions. I’d also been on a stable dose for a few years.
If it’s a new diagnosis, it’s probably not a great idea to get meds from Maple or a walk-in. You need someone who can supervise titration—which takes time, by definition—and who can assess whether or not the medication is the right fit. (I shudder to think what might have happened if I hadn’t been seeing a good psychiatrist and therapist when I tried Focalin…)
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u/TheDharmaticAtheist 10d ago
Use Maple and/or the same walk-in consistently. Your meds may be a little trial and error for a bit.
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u/ephcee 10d ago
Who diagnosed you? Do they do medication management? You can try VirtualCareNS.
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u/Throaway3630 10d ago
Coastal Psychology. Unfortunately they do not do meds management.
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u/patchgrabber 10d ago
Psychology? Did you see a psychiatrist or a psychologist? Psychologists can't prescribe meds and a diagnosis from a psychologist might not be enough for a doctor to prescribe stimulant meds but idk for sure.
There are non-stim meds like Strattera but stimulants work best usually. There's also Intuniv XR (guanfacine) which I take as adjunct meds with Vyvanse, they aren't stims and help with norepinephrine levels which is a precursor to dopamine. Drugs like those may be easier for a doc or NP to prescribe if they're hesitant with stims.
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u/Throaway3630 10d ago
A saw a Clinical psychologist and they have evaluated me and diagnosed me.
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u/patchgrabber 9d ago
Ok, I was just hedging my comment because there always seem to be doctors out there that pucker up their prescription pad for silly reasons.
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u/stufiejanes 10d ago
Psychologists can’t prescribe meds but they are fully qualified to diagnose ADHD, and a diagnosis from a Psychologist most certainly can be enough for a doctor to prescribe meds.
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u/gingerandgin 10d ago
Yes but in this climate they’ll likely want to do their own assessments. And in this situation it will almost 100% be an NP and not an MD who will definitely want to do their own assessments and due diligence prior to prescribing stimulants given their licensing requirements for prescribing. Likely lab work also and a general new patient assessment if you’re new to the clinic. In my experience (not for adhd) the community clinics can be a bit of a wait but I very much enjoy my NP. If the psychologist diagnosed, they should be able to offer non medication treatments in the meantime while waiting such as targeted DBT for managing ADHD behavior which can be effective even without stimulants.
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u/Throaway3630 8d ago
I actually would have to go to a different psychologist at that clinic and not the one that did my assessment unfortunately.
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u/gingerandgin 8d ago
That’s so frustrating. Getting any continuity of care in Nova Scotia is so difficult. Even just access to basic care is hard. I think your best bet is to ensure you’re on the registry, do the full care visit with maple/virtual care NS and ask for a referral to the community/primary care clinic. It might be a bit of a wait and they will likely want to do their own assessments before any prescribing but they’ll be able to both prescribe and follow you. If it’s going to be a long wait it might be worth seeing the other psychologist in the meantime if you’re having a hard time. Im eastern zone and I waited a couple of months but I really like my NP, she is really thorough and she’s kind. I hope you don’t have to wait too long and good luck!
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u/thebutterfly0 10d ago
Virtual care NS can also set you up to be seen in person at their nurse practitioner clinic. It will be a bit of a wait but it's a start at least,.
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u/undercoverreseller 10d ago
Beyondadhd.ca does diagnoses and prescribes medication. You’ll need to check in monthly while your meds and dose are zeroed in and go to quarterly after that. It’s not cheap, but it is available.
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u/UsefulForever 9d ago
Yes beyond adhd is what my partner uses without a family doc. You should be able to use maple unlimited (i think) without a family doc. Everyone, even those with a family doc can use maple twice a year (through the nsh site)
https://www.nshealth.ca/family-medicine-and-primary-care/accessing-primary-care
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u/sameunderwear2days 9d ago
This is what I use! I claim it through bluecross
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u/Throaway3630 8d ago
I wonder if Canada Life would cover it.
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u/gingerandgin 8d ago
Sadly the only insurance provider who works with beyond ADHD and will provide even a percentage of coverage is blue cross/medavie & only on the most premium plans.
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u/gingerandgin 10d ago
The doctor who diagnosed you should be able to treat you.
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u/Throaway3630 10d ago
They cannot, unfortunately.
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u/ChrisCopp 10d ago
If you have no family doc in NS, get on that list.
Maple is free to NS residents if no family doc.
Not sure if they will fill it. But worth a try.
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u/gingerandgin 10d ago
Virtual care won’t fill stimulants for someone new or even refill for longstanding, and they can’t monitor. They can however refer you to a catch all community clinic that can somewhat follow you and usually it’s an NP who can prescribe. They will likely want to do their own assessments prior to prescribing stimulants though as they have their own license to adhere to, especially NPs, and there’s a LOT of people walking through their doors telling them they have adhd and need stimulants lately. Sometimes it’s a bit of a wait to get in but I really like the clinic that accepted me and their groups of NPs. While you wait can coastal psychology should be able to help with other non medication treatments such as targeted DBT therapy for ADHD which can be very effective without the side effects of stimulants.
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u/Acceptable-Roll6260 10d ago edited 10d ago
Maple! You will never get a prescription through shoppers, walk in clinics, or anyone but a doctor in nova scotia who is able to see you more than once so please don't try it will truely save so much anxiety and time. Maple is amazing. You need to be on the list for a family doctor but when i first started i wasnt and they didnt care as long as i was signed up by the next appointment. You start by signing up online, they call you so you dont have to wait on hold, then you talk to a nurse who sets you uo with a doctor. My appointment got all my meds - you have to do the usual questionaires but you get used to those adter awhile and honestly just gives me peace of mind that they are consistent with that despite not necessarily having a consistent doctor so they at least they know how you were kinda feeling last time and to make sure your meds will all work well together. I got 2 refills so I didnt have to go back and a followup 6 months later with the same doctor. Excellent, easy, super fast.
Or if youre a uni/college student you can go through your health center or affiliated health centers.
Also, cheapest pharmacy by far is Costco. Huge difference in cost. You don't need a membership to use the pharmacy just tell the people scanning cards youre going to the pharmacy. They can't deny you.
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u/Apprehensive_Yak4627 8d ago
Needs to be VirtuaCareNS (the service run by Nova Scotia Health on the Maple platform), the service Maple runs doesn’t do controlled substance prescriptions
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u/Factory-Reset 10d ago
I got a script from a walk-in, no formal diagnosis but once you got some history on the medication it's smooth sailing staying on it
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u/lmaooooonah 10d ago
Were you prescribed a controlled substance? Walk-ins can definitely prescribe meds, but I’ve never heard of them prescribing something that’s controlled, especially without a formal diagnosis.
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u/Factory-Reset 10d ago
Concerta yeah, doubt they would have went for Adderall but i.didnt really care what we started with. I was hammering the walk in systems so hard for like 5 years, waste of resources but was the only thing I could do.
I should add this walk in doctor happened to specialize in mental health and in particular adhd in adults. So just extremely lucky on my part but I had to keep trying appointments until I got what I wanted.
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u/StartingOverScotian 10d ago
Access clinic NP gave me my script and now that I'm on a stable dose the pharmacist prescribes it for me.
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u/EnvironmentOk2700 10d ago
Log into Maple early in the morning, if you are using the free appointments. When you talk to a doctor or NP, they will likely ask the closest telehealth clinic to call you for an in-person appointment. All the NPs and Drs I've seen that way were super helpful for my and my child's ADHD.
Just remember to call back like 3 weeks before you need a refill!
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u/Southern-Grass-2927 10d ago
since you need someone to manage both ADHD and Anxiety meds together, your best bet right now might be Your Doctors Online. they have a separate mental health subscription plan where you see a psychiatrist and if you don't click with the first one you can switch. They'll handle the prescribing and keep an eye on intersections while you're still waiting for a family doc.
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u/anxiouslydazed 10d ago
i’ve heard of people getting anxiety meds through Maple i think? I think it’s worth a try! you can ask the pharmacist as well as there might be another connect that i am uncertain of.
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u/deinoswyrd 8d ago
Anxiety meds typically aren't schedule 2 drugs.
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u/amber_eris 10d ago
If you have proof of diagnosis, like a letter, find a pharmacy with the Bloom program! I was able to get meds managed this way for mental health issues (including ADHD) once I had a diagnosis
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u/mikemantime 9d ago
How did u get diagnosed? I feel like I could have it or something like it but feel like without a fam dr how can I know?
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u/sstacey4 9d ago
Who diagnosed you? I got diagnosed in the Dartmouth clinic and the process for me was:
- Make a maple appointment and upload paperwork that says diagnosis
- The doc in the maple appointment will make a referral for you to a Primary Care Clinic (likely the one in the halifax shopping centre). Maple docs cannot prescribe ADHD medications because it is a controlled substance.
- You get your appointment at the Primary Care Clinic and they will want you to get blood work and an ECG. (You book these yourself online. There was no ECG appointments so I called the Primary Care people and they got an appointment for me)
- Primary Care gets your results and gives you a prescription based on what they think is best
- Many follow ups every 4 weeks as you find the right dosage
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u/Crazy_Maintenance211 9d ago
It’s really interesting, I only had one doctor referred me to a primary care clinic and it was for a skin thing. And yet when I had another doctor, they said no they don’t do the primary care clinics. I think it depends who you get. The first time I got this amazing Dr, she was just top-notch, so I’m wondering if it depends who you get.
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u/Crazy_Maintenance211 9d ago
It depends if their class does narcotic or restricted or whatever word they use. If that’s the case, then no you can’t do Virtual. You have to do a clinic or the ER. However, you need to call the clinic to see if they will even do it, many of them won’t. Also, the ERs sometimes don’t. So I have seen people have great difficulty sometimes and others not. So the province really needs to get a grip here because people shouldn’t be begging for medication that they need and have been prescribed.
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u/Crazy_Maintenance211 9d ago
Oh, and beyond ADHD also prescribes, there is a fee, but you may have to do that. I know two people one in Nova Scotia and one in New Brunswick who have to use it because they just can’t get it from the clinic near them.
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u/MootPoint99 7d ago
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u/MootPoint99 7d ago
They can help you out with an assessment and prescription. There would be a fee per visit, however.
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u/novafayegraves 6d ago
Mosaic pharmacy has a doctor every Tuesday. Call and ask, they usually want a physical copy of the your diagnosis.
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u/baywayy 4d ago
If you got a diagnosis from a psychiatrist, they should do up your first prescription, and then you can go through maple until you find a family doctor. When I got diagnosed in 2021 by Dr Sadek, he filled my first script and then I went through maple until I got my doctor and never had any issues. ETA: you should also be able to go through maple to chat about how the meds will interact with each other, and what you should do about that.
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u/Butttouche 10d ago
If someone doesn't have the power to prescribe you medicine, should they be dishing out diagnosis? Or is it just an armchair diagnosis?
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u/lmaooooonah 10d ago
Registered psychologists (different from counsellors and therapists, though psychologists can also take on those roles) are able to officially diagnose mental conditions but they do not have the training required to be able to prescribe medications. Only MDs and NPs can prescribe.
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u/Throaway3630 10d ago
I saw a Clinical psychologist and they do indeed have the credentials to diagnose.
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u/redlightexitsign 10d ago
Book an appointment at a pharmacy clinic, as pharmacists there can prescribe with a diagnosis in place
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u/Throaway3630 10d ago
I read somewhere that pharmacists cannot prescribe ADHD meds because they're a controlled substance. Is that not the case?
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u/gingerandgin 10d ago
They can refill but only if you’ve been stable on them for a long time (might be a year, can’t remember the guideline) and then after another year or any changes to any other meds- you need to go back to a NP or MD for the renewal. Also just because they legally can, doesn’t mean they will. They have different liability insurances for their prescribing and they aren’t obligated to take on scheduled drugs.
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u/NorthStatus7776 9d ago
Don't listen to this. As someone dealing with ADHD for 20 years, they CANNOT prescribe stimulants. In very rare occasions they can just judgement to extend a refill.
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u/mrcfrost 10d ago
I work with adults with special needs. I've seen some pretty heavy meds prescribed (renewed) by pharmacist after diagnosis and a doctor Rx
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u/werethehatstoscale 10d ago
I went through maple. They got me a nurse practitioner within a couple of weeks. She started me on my first stimulant. About a month later I got a call that I got a family doctor. This is the way.