Explore every episode of the podcast Prescribe or Pass: The PoP Pod

ADHD is overdiagnosed. Everyone is a little ADHD. Stimulants are addictive. Medication changes personality. Children grow out of it. Sugar, phones, or even the gut microbiome, cause ADHD.

In the final episode of this eight-part series, pharmacist Kate Thomas examines some of the most common myths surrounding ADHD and its treatment.

We look at what the evidence actually tells us about diagnosis, stimulant dependence, adult ADHD, intelligence, diet, screen use, probiotics and the idea that ADHD medication changes who someone is.

This episode also brings together the key lessons from the entire series. From how ADHD medicines are selected and titrated to the differences between methylphenidate, dexamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine and non-stimulant treatments.

Designed for pharmacists, pharmacy students and other clinicians, this episode encourages listeners to challenge misinformation while responding to patients with accuracy, empathy and respect.

Reflective questions:

Which ADHD myth do you hear most often in practice?

Have any of your own beliefs changed during this series?

How can you correct misinformation without making a patient feel dismissed or embarrassed?

This concludes the eight-part ADHD medicines series from Prescribe or Pass: The PoP Pod.

What happens if a patient forgets their ADHD medicine?

Should they take weekends off?

Can they exercise? Drive? What about pregnancy, university, shift work, appetite, weight loss or the ongoing medicine shortages?

In this practical episode of Prescribe or Pass: The PoP Pod, we move beyond pharmacology and into the real-world questions pharmacists, doctors and other clinicians are asked every day.

We discuss:

• What to do after a missed dose
• Drug holidays: when they may (and may not) be appropriate
• Managing appetite suppression and weight loss
• Sleep and exercise
• Nutrition and growth in children
• Shift work and university life
• Pregnancy and shared decision-making
• Driving and roadside drug testing
• PBS restrictions and ADHD medicine shortages
• When treatment should be reviewed, and why growing bigger doesn’t automatically mean needing a higher stimulant dose

This episode is designed for pharmacists, pharmacy students and other health professionals wanting a practical, evidence-based understanding of ADHD medicines that extends well beyond the Product Information.

Whether you’re counselling a patient collecting their first prescription or supporting someone who’s been taking these medicines for years, this episode is packed with practical clinical pearls you can use in everyday practice.

Learning objectives

By the end of this episode, you should be able to:

• Counsel patients on the practical management of ADHD medicines in everyday life.
• Discuss common issues including missed doses, appetite, sleep, exercise and driving.
• Recognise situations where treatment review or referral may be appropriate.
• Provide evidence-based advice on common questions encountered in pharmacy practice.

Prescribe or Pass: The PoP Pod is a clinician education podcast created by pharmacist Kate Thomas, providing evidence-based learning for continuing professional development (CPD) in medicines and therapeutics. Whether you’re a pharmacist, pharmacy student, doctor, nurse practitioner or other prescribing clinician, join us as we explore the science behind medicines, and the practical conversations that improve patient care.

Stimulant medicines like methylphenidate and Vyvanse often dominate conversations about ADHD, but they’re only part of the story.

In this episode of Prescribe or Pass: The PoP Pod, we take a deep dive into the three main non-stimulant medicines used to treat ADHD: atomoxetine, guanfacine and clonidine.

You’ll learn how these medicines work, why they’re prescribed, who they’re best suited for, and why they shouldn’t simply be thought of as “second-line” treatments. We explore the fascinating neuroscience behind alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, why atomoxetine takes weeks to reach its full effect, how guanfacine helps the brain’s executive networks function more efficiently, and why clonidine can improve ADHD symptoms while also causing drowsiness.

We also discuss:

• When non-stimulants may be preferred over stimulants
• Common side effects and counselling points
• Monitoring blood pressure, heart rate and mood
• Combination therapy with stimulant medicines
• Practical expectations for patients and families

As always, we finish with reflective CPD questions to help translate today’s learning into clinical practice.

Prescribe or Pass: The PoP Pod is an independent clinical education podcast designed for pharmacists, pharmacy students and other healthcare professionals. 

If Vyvanse is converted into dexamphetamine… why do the two medicines feel so different?

In Episode 5 of our ADHD medicines series, we unpack the science behind the amphetamine family and explain one of the most fascinating concepts in pharmacology: the prodrug.

Learn how lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is converted into active dexamphetamine inside red blood cells, why this creates a smoother and longer-lasting effect, and why the capsule itself isn’t actually slow release.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The difference between dexamphetamine and lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse)
• What a prodrug is and why it matters
• How red blood cells gradually convert Vyvanse into dexamphetamine
• Why Vyvanse often lasts longer than immediate-release dexamphetamine
• Why some people are prescribed both Vyvanse and dexamphetamine
• The evidence behind common advice about food and protein
• The truth about vitamin C and whether it really affects ADHD medicines
• Practical counselling points and monitoring considerations for pharmacists and other clinicians

Whether you’re a pharmacist, pharmacy student, prescriber or another healthcare professional, this episode will help you understand not just what these medicines do, but why they behave so differently in clinical practice.

As always, the episode concludes with reflective questions to support your Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Next episode: We leave stimulant medicines behind and explore the often-overlooked world of non-stimulant ADHD treatments, including atomoxetine, guanfacine and clonidine. Who they’re for, how they work, and where they fit into ADHD management.

Ritalin, Ritalin LA and Concerta all contain methylphenidate but they are not interchangeable versions of the same medicine.

In this episode, we compare immediate-release methylphenidate, Ritalin LA and Concerta, including how each formulation releases the medicine, how long it may last, and why the same number of milligrams can feel very different.

We also cover switching between formulations, Australian generic brands, PBS substitution, common brand myths, and the key counselling points pharmacists need to know.

By the end of the episode, you should have a clearer understanding of:

● immediate-release, dual-release and OROS delivery systems

● the different release patterns of Ritalin, Ritalin LA and Concerta

● why Ritalin LA and Concerta are not direct substitutes

● how to counsel patients about swallowing, food, missed doses and tablet remnants

● when generic brands may be substituted and when they cannot

● how to respond when a patient says a different brand does not feel the same

This is Episode 4 of the eight-part ADHD medicines series from Prescribe or Pass: The PoP Pod, created for pharmacists, pharmacy students and clinicians who want to understand not only what is prescribed, but why.

Methylphenidate is one of the most commonly used medicines for ADHD, but understanding it requires more than knowing a list of brand names.

In this episode of Prescribe or Pass: The PoP Pod, pharmacist Kate Thomas explains how methylphenidate works, why immediate-release and modified-release products behave differently, and what patients may realistically notice when treatment is effective.

She also covers common adverse effects, including reduced appetite and sleep disturbance, practical counselling points, and the monitoring that should accompany treatment.

By the end of the episode, you should have a clearer understanding of:

• how methylphenidate affects dopamine and noradrenaline signalling
 • the difference between immediate-release and modified-release treatment
 • what a useful clinical response may look like
 • how to counsel about appetite, sleep and dosing
 • what should be monitored during treatment

The episode finishes with reflective questions and suggested wording to support pharmacists documenting their continuing professional development.

This is Episode 3 of an eight-part series on ADHD medicines. Next, we compare the different methylphenidate formulations and why products containing the same active ingredient may not feel the same in practice.

Why is one patient prescribed Ritalin while another receives Vyvanse? Is one medication “stronger” than the other? Does it mean their ADHD is more severe?

In this episode of PoP Pod, we explore the clinical reasoning behind ADHD medication selection and explain why there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

You’ll learn how clinicians individualise treatment by considering factors such as symptom profile, age, daily routine, duration of symptom control required, co-existing medical conditions, previous treatment response, side effects and patient preferences. We’ll also discuss why medication choice is a shared decision-making process and why finding the right treatment sometimes involves careful adjustment over time.

Whether you’re a pharmacy student, pharmacist, doctor or another clinician who works with medicines, this episode will give you a practical framework for understanding how ADHD medications are chosen, and why two patients with the same diagnosis may receive completely different treatments.

Learning objectives

By the end of this episode, you should be able to:

• Explain why ADHD medication selection is not based on the “severity” of ADHD alone.
• Describe the key factors clinicians consider when choosing an ADHD medication.
• Understand the importance of individualising treatment to suit the patient’s needs, lifestyle and goals.
• Recognise the role of shared decision making in ADHD management.
• Appreciate the importance of considering a patient’s complete medication history, including over-the-counter and complementary medicines, when reviewing ADHD treatment.

As always, we’ll finish with reflective CPD questions to help translate today’s learning into your own clinical practice.

ADHD is one of the most talked about and misunderstood conditions in healthcare.

In the first episode of our ADHD series, we start with the foundations.

What actually is ADHD? Why is it considered a disorder of executive function rather than simply a problem with attention? What roles do dopamine and noradrenaline play? How is ADHD diagnosed in Australia, and why is there no blood test or brain scan that can confirm it?

We’ll also explore how ADHD is treated, from psychoeducation and behavioural strategies through to stimulant and non-stimulant medications, before discussing the pharmacist’s role as part of the multidisciplinary team.

Whether you’re a pharmacist, pharmacy student or another clinician who works with medicines, this episode provides the framework for everything that follows in the series.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What ADHD is and what it isn’t
• Why “attention deficit” is a misleading name
• Executive function and why it matters
• The roles of dopamine and noradrenaline
• How ADHD is diagnosed in Australia
• The broad approaches to treatment
• The main classes of ADHD medications
• The pharmacist’s role in supporting people with ADHD

This episode concludes with a reflective question to support your continuing professional development.

Next episode: Why might one person with ADHD be prescribed methylphenidate while another receives an amphetamine? We’ll explore how clinicians choose between the two major stimulant families and why the answer is much more nuanced than many people realise.