Prescribe or Pass: The PoP Pod
Prescribe or Pass: The PoP Pod is the clinician edition of Prescribe or Pass an evidence-based podcast for pharmacists, pharmacy students and other clinicians who work with medicines.
Hosted by Australian pharmacist, educator and science communicator Kate Thomas, each episode explores one medicine, one condition or one clinical concept, explaining not just what we do, but why we do it.
Expect practical pharmacology, clinical reasoning, patient counselling, common misconceptions, adverse effects, ethical reflection and the questions that arise in real-world practice.
Some episodes stand alone. Others form structured educational series, with reflective questions to support continuing professional development.
Clear, practical and independent, PoP Pod helps clinicians build confidence, challenge assumptions and communicate medicines information more effectively.
Prescribe or Pass: The PoP Pod
Ritalin, Ritalin LA and Concerta: Same Drug, Different Delivery
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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.