Medication & Employment
While assisting adults with a variety of disabilities, obtaining/maintaining employment, I have been witness to too many examples of individuals/Job Seekers prescribed stimulant ADHD medication(s) and the prescription bottles list: ‘take one capsule by mouth every day’ OR ‘take one tablet by mouth in the am and one in the pm’.
An unclear prescription bottle label, coupled with overwhelmed parents and/or those individuals diagnosed ADHD who may not have ‘attended’ to the information provided to them (regarding their prescription medication and how it works), has resulted in numerous scenarios where the Job Seeker is taking a stimulant med in the morning ‘am’ and in the ‘pm’. When I would ask what time in the ‘pm’ their medication was taken, 8pm was often the response, What? Perhaps a few pots of coffee after dinner?
A stimulant taken in the evening will likely result in sleep disturbances (among other undesirable consequences), depending on the type of medication (short acting/up to 4 hours or long acting/6-12 hours), and how that individual responds to that medication. Additionally, the therapeutic affects were lost; as the medication was not taken as it was intended.
How could this be? Perhaps the prescription bottle could be more specific? How much information and education is being provided by the prescribing doctor? If not the doctor, then who?
In the scenarios above, not understanding how the medication works, how long it lasts, and not having clear directions on when to take the medication (whether on the prescription bottle or in some other way) led to: late night frustrations, emotional stress (often being reported as Anxiety), as well as, the negative effects that lack of sleep can have on so many areas of life.
In terms of employment, without the therapeutic effects of the ADHD medication to assist managing symptoms while at work (examples: sustained attention, following directions, the focus needed to start and complete tasks, utilize coping skills, etc.), the individual may experience exasperated symptoms which could likely have a negative impact on work performance, self confidence and self esteem.
I have ADHD and take a stimulant medication; the thought of taking a long or short acting stimulant med at 8pm… makes me cringe! I am not a medical professional, nor is the information shared here meant to be medical advise, rather… I am a peer advocate. As an adult with ADHD, sharing a life with loved ones diagnosed ADHD; there is plenty to focus on without adding unnecessary (and unneeded) medication confusion (example, taking a stimulant at 8pm) that may result in exasperated symptoms and/or medication related side effects… all while not benefiting from the therapeutic effects?! No thank you.
Though this article focuses on stimulant meds prescribed to treat ADHD, I have also been witness to countless other scenarios where prescribed medications (used to treat a host of diagnosis and related conditions) are also being reported to have negative effects on obtaining/maintaining successful employment (examples: fatigue, restlessness, irritability, etc).
Best practice: prior to seeking employment, report any side effects being experienced on current medication(s) to the prescribing doctor. Inform the doctor of the intent to obtain employment, include the type of work interested in (part time, full time) and preferred work schedule (1st, 2nd, 3rd shifts). Having this conversation should assist the doctor treating that individual’s changing needs, creates an opportunity to ask questions on how the medication works, when to take it, and should result in a follow up conversation post employment to identify how the prescribed meds are meeting the individual’s needs once employed.
Note worthy – ‘major’ life changes, which would include seeking/obtaining new employment, may create new stressors and/or exasperate symptoms that had other wise been previously managed with or without medication(s).