In certain states in the US they require a drug test to make sure you are infact taking the medication yourself. Its almost like a reverse drug test; you get in trouble if you’re not taking drugs.
So I guess also don’t forget and/or try to get off the medication otherwise you’ll fail the drug test and also loose access.
The punishment for not taking the drug is that they don’t let you take the drug?
Yep. because if you’re not taking it, obviously you must be selling it.
And it gets more stupid because you know the test is coming, its not like its a surprise test. So for people who are coordinatedly selling it, they can easily defeat the system by saving like a weeks worth and then take it every day the week before the test. The test can’t detect beyond 1 week for any of the top 3 ADHD controlled substances.
As a retired medic who has had to literally chased naked people down the street at 6am or simply be assaulted by them whenever, there are an amazing number of people that just go off their meds regularly. And the only way to know if they are following their treatment plan is to literally do a drug test. There are an amazing number of people who end up needing to be dealt with every day because they go off their meds.
And no, social workers don’t seem to want to get up off their asses and out into the community to do much about it. So ambulances and ERs and police get tied up trying to deal with the problems. And none of us have the proper tools or training to deal with them.
I don’t want to discredit your work, medics are underappreciated and do arguably the most valuable work of any job. I feel like we should be on the same side; we both want people to take medication they need. I’m saying the current establishment isnt helping in the slightest.
Absolutely zero, not a soul in the universe with ADHD now or forever, is going to be more likely to take their meds because once every 2 years theres a drug test. Literally having a surpise drug test would be better because it doesnt involve planning and showing up AND it would actually prevent sellers from duping the system.
You ever try to get a social worker to chase a naked woman down a street at 6am? Or deal with a naked 6’7" 300lbs man off his meds and preaching hellfire and brimstone at 3am in the middle of a severe thunderstorm? I have, more than once or thrice.
It was just me and a deputy sheriff trying to catch the naked woman and then both of us pleading on our phones with our respective bosses for somewhere to take her - but there were no openings at the moment. And more importantly - I was informed by the “on call” social worker to “figure it out ourselves” to find a place for her. We ended up having to simply take her to jail to hold her until more people showed up to work to deal with it. (I did get a nasty email from her social worker though).
It was just me trying to talk that naked “preacher” into the back of my rig for a “little trip to a place he could preach.” And me hoping I wasn’t about to be assaulted for the 3rd time that month. I managed to talk the man into the 40 mile ride with me - unrestrained in the back of the ambulance. But I was on pins and needles the whole time.
Just like Jesus, no social worker was ever there to help me with ANY of those types of calls on scene. And just like little green apples and sunshine, I also knew that I would be seeing those two again in a couple of months.
The meds these people were supposed to be taking weren’t for ADHD, (as a medic I MIGHT know a bit more about these medications than you). You don’t chase people with ADHD naked down the street.
Those are the people who need a social worker the most. They are supposed to be checking in on these poor people far more often than they do to prevent them from needing me to chase them down or me getting assaulted by them in the first place.
But again, you ain’t never going to see a social worker working outside of a 9 to 5 office.
Any credibility you had was washed away with that comment. Sorry, but a medic is bupkiss as far as medical knowledge is concerned but I do concede that you will have had extraordinary medical training compared to the average person.
You mentioned that you are retired. Things are most definitely different now than they were even 5 years ago. The severity of the problem, the number of people affected, the costs, it’s all worse. That said, we are also finally TRYING to fix it now that enough Boomers have aged enough that Reagan’s hatred for social care is no longer relevant.
Yes. My husband is a social worker and works in a housing-first organization. He has 25 formerly homeless clients, all of whom are dealing with some form of substance abuse and mental health issues. Yes, he deals with exactly what you just said every day of his life.
Whatever your anger is has nothing to do with social workers and honestly sounds like someone who listens to too much Fox News.
I don’t do fox news or any other conservative outlet.
Again in nearly 20 years in the back of the bus, just like Jesus I have never had help from a social worker at a scene. But I have had such group homes like your husband works at call 911 so me or someone like me could deal with people who they couldn’t control though. I guess it was better to have me get assaulted than themselves - been there, done that, got the tee shirts…
I do not hate social workers per se. I hate how the public thinks social workers are the answer to every social ill. And I hate how many times I had to get assaulted at 2am because one of them didn’t do their job. But yeah, social workers are perfect and are just not being paid enough to do their job.
You get out there and do a few psych calls. You go out there and get hit and bitten while trying to restrain a violent patient and not hurting them. Or better yet, take a call for a suicide at an address of one of those frequent fliers that got all the help from their social worker. I got that tee shirt too. Maybe you need to “earn” that one too.
That’s kinda tricky though, what if you are taking your medication but you don’t take it every day? What they should really check for is that your prescription bottles are in your possession and how many pills you have left in the bottles 😊 💡
Some providers will refuse to provide prescription drugs like Adderall if you fail a drug test because if you’re an “illicit drug user” then you shouldn’t be given any drugs. Adderall is a scheduled substance so some providers are still pretty locked down about it
They’re primarily checking for proof that you’re taking the medication.
If levels are too low: they assume you’re not using it, and if you’re not using it you must be selling it.
Levels too high: you’re abusing it.
Levels of something else (usually alcohol or cannabis): you’re a junkie.
All three can get your prescription revoked, and the testing requirements change based on the weather and what your doctor had for breakfast last Tuesday.
What’s up with the drug test part?
In certain states in the US they require a drug test to make sure you are infact taking the medication yourself. Its almost like a reverse drug test; you get in trouble if you’re not taking drugs.
So I guess also don’t forget and/or try to get off the medication otherwise you’ll fail the drug test and also loose access.
The punishment for not taking the drug is that they don’t let you take the drug?
That makes as much sense as suspending a student for not attending classes.
You’re just making the problem worse.
I believe their goal is to prevent people from selling the drug.
Yep. because if you’re not taking it, obviously you must be selling it.
And it gets more stupid because you know the test is coming, its not like its a surprise test. So for people who are coordinatedly selling it, they can easily defeat the system by saving like a weeks worth and then take it every day the week before the test. The test can’t detect beyond 1 week for any of the top 3 ADHD controlled substances.
People who need these can’t be functioning people without them. If you aren’t taking them then you’re definitely selling or giving them away.
As a retired medic who has had to literally chased naked people down the street at 6am or simply be assaulted by them whenever, there are an amazing number of people that just go off their meds regularly. And the only way to know if they are following their treatment plan is to literally do a drug test. There are an amazing number of people who end up needing to be dealt with every day because they go off their meds.
And no, social workers don’t seem to want to get up off their asses and out into the community to do much about it. So ambulances and ERs and police get tied up trying to deal with the problems. And none of us have the proper tools or training to deal with them.
I don’t want to discredit your work, medics are underappreciated and do arguably the most valuable work of any job. I feel like we should be on the same side; we both want people to take medication they need. I’m saying the current establishment isnt helping in the slightest.
Absolutely zero, not a soul in the universe with ADHD now or forever, is going to be more likely to take their meds because once every 2 years theres a drug test. Literally having a surpise drug test would be better because it doesnt involve planning and showing up AND it would actually prevent sellers from duping the system.
lol it’s the fault of the social workers and not the government who won’t pay to hire social workers. Seriously?
You ever try to get a social worker to chase a naked woman down a street at 6am? Or deal with a naked 6’7" 300lbs man off his meds and preaching hellfire and brimstone at 3am in the middle of a severe thunderstorm? I have, more than once or thrice.
It was just me and a deputy sheriff trying to catch the naked woman and then both of us pleading on our phones with our respective bosses for somewhere to take her - but there were no openings at the moment. And more importantly - I was informed by the “on call” social worker to “figure it out ourselves” to find a place for her. We ended up having to simply take her to jail to hold her until more people showed up to work to deal with it. (I did get a nasty email from her social worker though).
It was just me trying to talk that naked “preacher” into the back of my rig for a “little trip to a place he could preach.” And me hoping I wasn’t about to be assaulted for the 3rd time that month. I managed to talk the man into the 40 mile ride with me - unrestrained in the back of the ambulance. But I was on pins and needles the whole time.
Just like Jesus, no social worker was ever there to help me with ANY of those types of calls on scene. And just like little green apples and sunshine, I also knew that I would be seeing those two again in a couple of months.
ADHD meds ≠ Anti-Psychotic meds.
Just so you know. Because it doesn’t seem like you know.😬
Yeah this person is on the warpath, it’s really weird.
The meds these people were supposed to be taking weren’t for ADHD, (as a medic I MIGHT know a bit more about these medications than you). You don’t chase people with ADHD naked down the street.
Just so YOU know…
That’s what I’m saying. You’re making the comparison between people not taking their Anti-Psychotic meds and people not taking their ADHD meds…not me.
Those are the people who need a social worker the most. They are supposed to be checking in on these poor people far more often than they do to prevent them from needing me to chase them down or me getting assaulted by them in the first place.
But again, you ain’t never going to see a social worker working outside of a 9 to 5 office.
Any credibility you had was washed away with that comment. Sorry, but a medic is bupkiss as far as medical knowledge is concerned but I do concede that you will have had extraordinary medical training compared to the average person.
You mentioned that you are retired. Things are most definitely different now than they were even 5 years ago. The severity of the problem, the number of people affected, the costs, it’s all worse. That said, we are also finally TRYING to fix it now that enough Boomers have aged enough that Reagan’s hatred for social care is no longer relevant.
Yes. My husband is a social worker and works in a housing-first organization. He has 25 formerly homeless clients, all of whom are dealing with some form of substance abuse and mental health issues. Yes, he deals with exactly what you just said every day of his life.
Whatever your anger is has nothing to do with social workers and honestly sounds like someone who listens to too much Fox News.
I don’t do fox news or any other conservative outlet.
Again in nearly 20 years in the back of the bus, just like Jesus I have never had help from a social worker at a scene. But I have had such group homes like your husband works at call 911 so me or someone like me could deal with people who they couldn’t control though. I guess it was better to have me get assaulted than themselves - been there, done that, got the tee shirts…
You’re the only person outside of those who obsessively watch Fox who hate social workers. Nobody except extreme right wingers hate social workers.
I do not hate social workers per se. I hate how the public thinks social workers are the answer to every social ill. And I hate how many times I had to get assaulted at 2am because one of them didn’t do their job. But yeah, social workers are perfect and are just not being paid enough to do their job.
You get out there and do a few psych calls. You go out there and get hit and bitten while trying to restrain a violent patient and not hurting them. Or better yet, take a call for a suicide at an address of one of those frequent fliers that got all the help from their social worker. I got that tee shirt too. Maybe you need to “earn” that one too.
It just depends on the doctor. The prescribing guidelines suggest it but I’ve only ever had one doctor actually do it.
That’s kinda tricky though, what if you are taking your medication but you don’t take it every day? What they should really check for is that your prescription bottles are in your possession and how many pills you have left in the bottles 😊 💡
Some providers will refuse to provide prescription drugs like Adderall if you fail a drug test because if you’re an “illicit drug user” then you shouldn’t be given any drugs. Adderall is a scheduled substance so some providers are still pretty locked down about it
Some providers also gave out opioids like the was candy so it’s easier to just say that some people suck.
They’re primarily checking for proof that you’re taking the medication.
All three can get your prescription revoked, and the testing requirements change based on the weather and what your doctor had for breakfast last Tuesday.