A Reference Guide For
School Personnel
About ADHD and Stimulant Medications
The S.T.A.R.T. Now program was developed in consultation with the following organizations*:
- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- The National Association of School Nurses (NASN)
- The National Council for Patient Information and Education (NCPIE)
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Novartis would like to thank each of these organizations for lending their valuable time to this project.
Introduction
Teachers, school administrators and school nurses play a critical role in the lives and well-being of all children. In addition to nurturing academic and intellectual development, school personnel are responsible for the safety and welfare of children while they are away from their parents during the school day.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), most schools are doing a commendable job teaching their students about the dangers associated with illicit drug use.1 Because many children take prescription medications during the school day, school officials also need to know about the medications with which children may come in contact while at school. Medications when taken as prescribed by a physician are safe and effective, but when misused/abused by those for whom they are not prescribed can have serious consequences.2,3
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the chronic conditions for which children are sometimes prescribed medication to be taken during school hours. ADHD is one of the most common disorders in children; in fact, it is the most studied childhood psychiatric disorder. Its symptoms have been described in the medical literature since 1902.
This program is designed to help you ensure that the children under your care for whom medications have been prescribed use them responsibly and safely, and that prescription medications for ADHD are only taken by those for whom they are intended. According to the DEA, well-informed school personnel can better recognize that a child has symptoms of drug-related problems and help prevent the diversion and subsequent misuse of prescription medications by other students in their schools.4
First, let's talk about ADHD treatment and proper use of medication; then, we'll review some facts about ADHD.
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