Adhd Drug Problem
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ADHD Drug Problem
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, otherwise known as ADHS, has been known as a behavioral disorder for over a century. Recently, the disorder has become over-diagnosed. Typically, psychiatrists prescribe medication to help patients diagnosed with ADHD to function normally. The drugs are used to calm people down and increase concentration. In an attempt to fix the problem of over-prescription, drugs containing the active ingredients dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate are being strictly regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency. Most of these drugs are stimulants, such as Ritalin, Adderall, Vyvance, and other generic brands. The limit on the manufacturing of prescription ADHD medication is a growing problem in the pharmaceutical field that must be addressed because the scarcity leaves prescriptions unfilled, increases prices, and hinders new prescriptions to be obtained.
A British doctor named Dr. Still first diagnosed ADHD in 1902. He named the disorder “Defect of Moral Control”, though he felt it was a medical issue rather than a spiritual problem. In 1922, ADHD became known as a behavioral disorder, rather than a spiritual concern. Prescription medications began to appear on the market in 1937, when Dr. Charles Bradley first used stimulates to treat hyperactive children. These medications, such as Ritalin, which was released in 1956, were used to treat only hyperactivity. In 1970, the current symptoms such as hyperactivity, lack of focus, and impulsiveness were added to the diagnosis. In 1980, the disorder got the name Attention Deficit Disorder. In 1987, the disease was broken into two categories: Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Adderall, one of the most common medications, was approved as sufficient treatment for both.
The quotas set by the Drug Enforcement Administration are too low to provide a sufficient amount of ADHD medication to fill the prescriptions that already exist. The sinking quantity and increasing demand leaves many preexisting prescriptions unfilled. Nearly fifty-two million prescriptions for ADHD medication were written in 2011. The shortage left around twenty-four million prescriptions unfilled. Patients are decreasing their dosages to extend their supply, which interferes with their everyday life. Because users become dependent on the medication to properly function, withdrawal from the drugs leaves people unmotivated and “out of it.” Near-narcoleptic desires to sleep, sudden hatred for employment and huge confidence drops are also typical symptoms of quitting the medication. In severe cases, termination use of the prescriptions can cause severe depression or anxiety, as well as suicidal tendencies.
The ADHD prescription shortage is due to supply issues and uneven distributions of the drugs. The supply issues come from monitored ingredients because of the Drug Enforcement Agencys fear of abuse of the drugs. Though the action taken by the agency to prevent the misuse of the medication is damaging and unpractical, the fear is rational. The Controlled Substance Act of 1970 separates drugs into five classes. Adderall and other ADHD medications fall in Schedule ii. This is the same category that hard drugs, like cocaine and methamphetamine, fall into (Leonhart). Drugs in this schedule can possibly have medical uses, buy have a high risk of addiction and abuse that can cause physical or psychological dependence or damage.
The over prescription of ADHD medication makes the drug easily obtainable for individuals who have already formed an addiction. Patients who do not need the drug will get prescribed, then sell the pills on the black market. “One out of five college students has admitted to not being diagnosed as ADHD or prescribed to the medication, but still regularly take the drug”(Jenkins). Side effects such as energy, weight loss, extreme focus, and the enjoyment of being high are all effects of the prescriptions that college students desire. On the contrary, negative side effects include heart problems, mood swings, emotional damage, suicidal tendencies, insomnia, depression, and psychosis. The situation of abuse and unregulated prescriptions is getting worse every day. The problem has already escalates out of the Food and Drug Administrations hands, leaving the Drug Enforcement Agency as the only department with enough power to regain control over the situation.
Though the amount of medication manufactured is insufficient, it is not uncommon to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Nine.five percent of children are prescribed stimulants to control their ADHD, which has risen