ADHD medication schedules: Schedule II, Schedule IV and unscheduled drugs

Whether an ADHD medication is a controlled substance, and in which schedule, decides a lot about everyday life on it: whether you can get refills, how much you can fill at once, whether a prescription monitoring check is required and how telehealth visits must be arranged. This article sorts ADHD medications by schedule and explains what each schedule means for adults in New York and New Jersey, as of October 2026. Which medication is right for you is a separate, clinical question.

What the schedules mean

The federal Controlled Substances Act sorts drugs into five schedules. The two that matter for ADHD medication are defined in 21 U.S.C. 812:

• Schedule II: a high potential for abuse, a currently accepted medical use, and abuse that may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
• Schedule IV: a low potential for abuse relative to Schedule III, a currently accepted medical use, and abuse that may lead to limited physical or psychological dependence relative to Schedule III.

A schedule describes legal controls. It is not a ranking of how well a medication works or how suitable it is for a particular person.

Where each ADHD medication sits

Because Azstarys contains a Schedule II ingredient, expect Schedule II prescription rules for it, and it carries the stimulant boxed warning on abuse, misuse and addiction. Bupropion, sometimes used off-label, is not listed in the federal schedules.

Centanafadine needs a separate word. The FDA approved it on July 24, 2026, and its manufacturer describes it as a central nervous system stimulant with a boxed warning on abuse, misuse and addiction. The manufacturer said it expects availability later in 2026 following DEA scheduling. Federal law adds a formal step: when the FDA intends to recommend controls for a new drug, its approval does not take effect until the DEA issues an interim final rule scheduling it (21 U.S.C. 355(x)). Until a schedule is assigned, centanafadine is not available in pharmacies, and which prescription rules will apply is not known. See centanafadine (Simtriyo).

Federal rules by schedule

The 90-day route under 21 CFR 1306.12 has conditions. Each prescription must be issued for a legitimate medical purpose, the prescriber must write the earliest date a pharmacy may fill each one, and state law must permit it. What will replace the DEA telemedicine flexibilities after 2026 had not been published as of October 2026; see telehealth ADHD prescriptions in New York.

What changes in New York

New York adds its own layer through Public Health Law Article 33 and 10 NYCRR Part 80.

• Schedule II supply: no more than a 30-day supply, except that a practitioner may prescribe up to a three-month supply for attention deficit disorder if the prescription states the condition or its code (code B), under 10 NYCRR 80.67.
• No refills: a Schedule II prescription "shall not be refilled." A new prescription cannot be issued or dispensed until all but a seven-day supply of the previous one has been used.
• Schedule III, IV and V refills: Public Health Law section 3339 allows refills only as authorized by the prescriber, for no more than six months, and generally not earlier than seven days before the previous supply would run out. If a prescription authorizes more than a 30-day supply, it may be refilled only once.
• Registry check: before prescribing a controlled substance, the prescriber consults the Prescription Monitoring Program Registry (I-STOP), under 10 NYCRR 80.63. See I-STOP and ADHD prescriptions.

The full set of stimulant rules is in New York's rules for ADHD stimulant prescriptions.

What changes in New Jersey

• Before starting: N.J.A.C. 13:35-7.6(b) requires a thorough history, an examination appropriate to the standard of care, a reasonable effort to obtain records, a check of the New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program and a written treatment plan before a controlled substance is started.
• Schedule II supply: no more than a 30-day supply per prescription, with multiple prescriptions allowed up to a 90-day total, each showing the earliest date it may be filled.
• Schedule III and IV refills: under N.J.A.C. 13:45H-7.14, no prescription may be filled or refilled more than six months after it was issued, or refilled more than five times.
• Telehealth and stimulants: under P.L.2026, c.40, effective July 8, 2026, an adult on a Schedule II stimulant who is located in New Jersey and starts by telehealth needs an in-person visit within 30 days, a contact every three months (in person or by real-time audio and video), and an in-person visit at least once a year. This law addresses Schedule II stimulants, so it does not reach atomoxetine, viloxazine or guanfacine.

See New Jersey's ADHD medication rules, telehealth ADHD prescriptions in New Jersey and the New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program.

What this means day to day

• Schedule II: plan for a new prescription each time. Keep track of when you will run low, because a prescription cannot be issued in New York until you are within seven days of running out, and pharmacies may be out of stock. See ADHD medication shortages.
• Schedule IV: refills are possible within the limits above, but a prescription monitoring check still applies.
• Not controlled: the controlled-substance rules do not apply. Ordinary pharmacy rules and your plan's limits do.
• Location matters: the rules that apply to a video visit are those of the state where you are physically located during the visit, so tell your prescriber where you will be.

For how the groups compare clinically, see stimulant vs nonstimulant ADHD medication. Dr. Shershow is a psychiatrist licensed in New York and New Jersey; for a video visit, the patient must be physically located in one of those states at the time. The office can explain how visits are arranged for patients located in New Jersey. See appointments and telehealth.