Last Issue Resolved

The last remaining issue, the only potential deal-breaker for our jobs in Qatar, has been resolved. I spoke with our pediatrician yesterday, and he's perfectly happy to provide us with a 6-month prescription for H's medication, twice a year, which we can then fill and take her meds back to Doha with us after our visits to the States. Also making the issue less of an issue is a conversation I had this morning with one of the pediatricians at Al Ahli Hospital in Doha. He practiced in the US for 10 years, and 10% of his patients were children with ADHD, so he was completely familiar with our concerns, the medication I was asking about, etc. He asked all the same questions a pediatrician in the States would (What's she taking? How long has she been on the medication? What's the dosage?), and it was so nice to be talking with someone I could understand clearly as well.

He said our best option is to proceed with the long-term supply first, and he explained the major difference in how ADHD is treated in Qatar. A pediatrician cannot prescribe ADHD medication, only a psychiatrist can because it's considered a condition of mental health. Because it's a Muslim country, there are very few psychiatrists available, but there are a few. One was just hired at Al Ahli, and he confirmed that there's one at Hamad Hospital who works with children who have ADHD. The past practice has actually been quite strict, with doctors only prescribing a 10-day supply at a time, but he said this practice has gradually loosened up, and the doctors are increasingly seeing patients and prescribing medication on a monthly basis. He even called Hamad Hospital pharmacy and verified they actually DO HAVE the exact medicine and dosage that H currently takes--very good news!!

So, while we work through the system and the possibility of getting Hannah her medication from within Doha, we're comfortable knowing we have the prior option of bringing her meds with us from the US. The doctor was also able to assure us that we'd have no problem bringing them in the country. At most, he said we might need to show a doctor's note and copy of the prescription for verification, but we probably wouldn't even be asked for that.

With this problem solved, the university is moving forward with our draft contracts, and we're filling out applications for schools, passports, and everything else under the sun. Here we go folks!