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Hundreds of children and teens may no longer have to stand in school medication lines. On August 1, 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a time - released form of the generic version of Ritalin called methylphenidate. For AD/HD kids, this means they don’t have to be singled out at lunchtime. This is good news for parents and kids.

It’s lunchtime, and the ritual begins. Jack takes his place in the medication line to receive his next dose of Ritalin. Although he doesn’t talk about AD/HD with other students, they are keenly aware of why he leaves for the school nurse’s office every day at noon. A kid across the hall yells, “Hey, Jack. Going to the hyper line to mellow out?” Jack dies of embarrassment. His self-esteem takes another blow, and he wishes there was another way to handle his medication needs.

Jack, along with hundreds of children and teens, may no longer have to stand in school medication lines. On August 1, 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a time -released form of the generic version of Ritalin called methylphenidate.

The new one-a-day pill works like this. The pill’s outer coating actually contains a dose of the drug that is immediately released into the bloodstream. Inside is a tiny plastic pump filled with a 12-hour dose of medicine. Since the body produces water, the water is absorbed by the pump and liquefies small amounts of the drug. The pump then pushes the drug through a tiny hole throughout the rest of the day. The result is time-released doses of the medication geared to last all day.

There is some skepticism about the time-released pills. Years ago, a company called Novartis invented a one-dose Ritalin pill. It wasn’t widely prescribed by physicians because most felt it lacked the effectiveness of multiple doses.

For parents and children this is encouraging news. Children accurately diagnosed with AD/HD are still misunderstood and often the butt of jokes and teasing. The stigma attached to AD/HD does nothing to help improve their already low self-esteem. Even adults tend to judge and categorize kids based on the diagnosis.

It keeps kids from being singled out for what appears to be a neurobiological disorder. Contrary to opinion, AD/HD is not a condition you can will yourself out of. It needs proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment that often includes medication.

Dr. Mintle – author, professor, Approved Supervisor and Clinical Member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – is a speaker and media personality, as well as a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years in psychotherapy practice. For more articles by Dr. Mintle, go to Counseling and Advice on the Health Channel.