A. While they are very convenient and work well for most children, the once a day ADHD medicines can be rather expensive. Many families without insurance and prescription drug benefits can not afford these medicines, such as Adderall XR, Ritalin LA, Concerta, or Metadate CD.
Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive versions of these medicines that can be taken just once a day. There are generic versions of both Adderall and Ritalin though, but they are short acting and have to usually be taken at least twice a day.
And surprisingly, at least in the case of Adderall, they aren't that much less expensive. For example, while walgreens.com gives a price of $101.99 for 30 Adderall XR 30mg tablets, the price of the generic Adderall 15mg is also $101.99 for 60 tablets.
You may be able to save a lot of money if your Pediatrician prescribes your child the 30mg Adderall tablets and you split them in half. These tablets are scored for easy splitting and will cost you just $81.99 for 60 tablets, which will last you for 2 months if you give your child 1/2 tablet twice a day. So now you are only spending a little over $40 a month, instead of the previous $100 for what should be an equivalent amount of medicine.
Keep in mind that the prices mentioned above only reflect the online price given on the day I looked them up. They may change at any time and may not reflect what you will pay if you to Walgreens.
Since prices can vary in different pharmacies, you might also shop around to see if you can find a better price.
