More than half of MA students arrive taking prescribed psychotropic medications—usually to address deflated or labile mood, academic problems with focus, concentration or impulsivity, or to relieve anxiety or other psychiatric symptoms—or all of the above. Some students also arrive on medications prescribed in the past for somatic problems, e.g., hypo-thyroidism, or acne. To keep all prescriptions up to date, clinically, becomes a problem in a residential school far distant from doctors who prescribed them, who cannot easily re-examine a young patient.

For this reason our medical director, Dennis Malinak, MD reviews medical histories and current prescriptions soon after enrollment for every student, and he orders on-going medications through Medical Arts Pharmacy in Kalispell. His orders produce a weekly delivery of pre-packaged doses that our nurse or other staff dole out carefully—for students to take in the morning, at noon and or in the evening—and document.

At enrollment, parents consult with Dr. Malinak to establish continued prescriptions, and in general, we make few changes at this time. Given the turmoil associated with a student’s arrival, clinical results of such changes would be very difficult to evaluate. For this reason Dr. Malinak usually continues previous prescriptions, which we know competent physicians have ordered, and he makes warranted changes only after a student has settled in and has a relationship with Dr. Malinak, who will have followed his progress over time. For psychotropic medications, Dr. Malinak himself consults with students and parents. For medications prescribed for somatic problems, he and our nurse may discuss orders with home doctors or arrange for consultations with Montana physicians.