Can You Get ADHD Treatment by Telehealth in Florida?

Yes, with limits. Florida law allows ADHD care by telehealth, but most ADHD stimulants are Schedule II drugs, and the state lets providers prescribe those by telehealth only for four uses, including treating a psychiatric disorder. At Padgett, adult ADHD treatment in Ocala starts with an in-person visit, and follow-ups can be by telehealth anywhere in Florida.

What does Florida law say about ADHD care by telehealth?

It allows it, held to the same standard as an office visit. Florida's telehealth law, section 456.47 of the Florida Statutes, defines telehealth as health care delivered through telecommunications technology, including assessment, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring. Email and fax messages don't count.

Providers who use telehealth are held to the professional standard that applies to in-person care in Florida, and the law lets them evaluate patients by telehealth. Its list of who may practice by telehealth includes professionals licensed under chapter 464, Florida's nursing law, which is where advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are licensed. For ADHD, the part that matters most is a limit on prescribing.

Can ADHD stimulants be prescribed by telehealth in Florida?

Only for certain uses. Under s. 456.47(2)(c), a telehealth provider may not use telehealth to prescribe a Schedule II controlled substance unless it is for one of four purposes: the treatment of a psychiatric disorder, inpatient treatment at a licensed hospital, a patient receiving hospice care, or a nursing home resident. The limit does not cover drugs in other schedules.

Most ADHD stimulants fall under it. Florida's Schedule II list, in s. 893.03, names amphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, methamphetamine and methylphenidate, along with their salts and isomers. The FDA label for Adderall XR, for example, says it contains amphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. For how stimulants and non-stimulants differ, see adult ADHD medication options.

The law does not define "psychiatric disorder" or name the conditions it covers. How the exception applies to a particular prescription is for your prescriber to judge, and no medication is promised in advance.

Does federal law require an in-person visit first?

Normally, yes, but that rule is on hold for now. Under the Ryan Haight Act, a 2008 federal law, remote prescribing of a controlled substance generally has to follow at least one in-person medical evaluation of the patient. Temporary exceptions have set that requirement aside since March 2020, and a joint rule from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services keeps them in place through December 31, 2026.

During that window, a prescriber with a DEA registration can issue Schedule II through V prescriptions by telemedicine to patients they have never evaluated in person, provided each one meets the rule's conditions, such as serving a legitimate medical purpose. Should it lapse with nothing in its place, patients never evaluated in person would again need that visit first.

One in-person visit changes the picture. According to the notice, once a prescriber has evaluated a patient in person, the Ryan Haight Act's remote-prescribing requirements no longer apply between them, no matter how long ago that visit was. Each prescription still has to comply with other federal and state law, Florida's Schedule II limit included.

Why is the first ADHD visit at Padgett always in person?

Because ADHD care can lead to a controlled medication, and the rules for prescribing those by telehealth are strict. Every new ADHD patient at Padgett begins with a 30-minute evaluation, held in person at the clinic at 200 SW 8th St., Suite A, just south of downtown Ocala. That holds wherever in Florida you live.

Starting face to face also settles the federal question early. If your follow-ups move to telehealth, your provider will already have evaluated you in person, whatever becomes of the temporary exception. Florida's Schedule II limit is separate, and it applies to any Schedule II prescription written by telehealth, first visit or not.

At that first visit, your provider goes over your symptoms and when they began, including in childhood, how they affect work and home, your health history, what you take now and any records from past care. How adult ADHD is diagnosed goes through it step by step. No medication or diagnosis is promised in advance.

What happens at a telehealth follow-up?

It's a visit with your provider, Sarah Weir, APRN, held by telehealth instead of at the clinic. You can have it from anywhere in Florida, as long as you are physically in the state at the time. Plan to talk through how your treatment is going: your symptoms, any side effects, and any changes in your health or other medicines.

Stimulants can raise blood pressure and heart rate, and the Adderall XR label tells prescribers to monitor every patient on it for high blood pressure and a fast heart rate. A telehealth visit can't measure those for you, so ask your provider how yours will be checked.

Florida law (s. 893.055, Florida Statutes) has prescribers check E-FORCSE, the state's prescription drug monitoring program, before prescribing a controlled substance for anyone 16 or older, with a few exceptions. That duty is the same whether the visit is in person or by telehealth. Whether anything is prescribed at a given visit, and what, is your provider's decision.

What do you need for a telehealth follow-up?

Mainly, you need to be in Florida. The rule is about where you are during the visit, so a follow-up from a hotel in Georgia or a relative's house up north can't happen by telehealth. If a trip will take you out of Florida on the day, reschedule at least 24 hours ahead so the $50 no-show fee doesn't apply.

Beyond that, find a private, quiet spot with a steady connection, and don't take the call while driving. Before it starts, jot down how things have gone since your last visit, any side effects, every medicine and supplement you take, and your pharmacy's name and location. Padgett's page on telehealth anywhere in Florida explains how telehealth works for its other services.

What if you're a college student or often out of state?

Book telehealth follow-ups for days you'll be in Florida. For students at a Florida college, the first visit is the one that has to be in Ocala, and follow-ups can then be by telehealth from campus. If a break takes you home to another state, time the follow-up for before you go or once you're back in Florida.

College students who book online with a card on file and a valid college ID pay $130 for the first visit, 50% off instead of 35%. It applies to the first visit only, and the ID is checked at the visit. ADHD treatment for college students has the details, and ADHD in college covers the signs worth an evaluation.

Frequent travel works the same way: if a work trip lands on a follow-up day, move the visit. Moving out of Florida for good is different, since a Padgett telehealth visit needs you in the state, so talk with your provider about arranging care where you will live.

How does ADHD care work at Padgett in Ocala?

You book online, and nothing is charged when you book; the clinic holds your visit with a card on file. The first visit, your 30-minute in-person evaluation, is $260, or $169 when you book online with a card on file (35% off), for new patients only. You can book without a card, but the appointment isn't confirmed until staff reach you by phone.

Follow-ups are $136, the same for everyone, in person or by telehealth. Every visit is with Sarah Weir, APRN. If treatment makes sense, it may include medication, chosen with your provider, and non-medication strategies. Any medication is filled at your own pharmacy and is not part of the visit fee. There are no contracts, and the only other charge is the $50 no-show fee, which can be applied to your next visit.

Ready to start? Book your in-person ADHD visit, or call (352) 369-0104, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

This article is educational and is not medical advice. Talk with a licensed provider about your own health, medications and treatment options.