Adderall Follow-Up Pitch

The story I am interested in submitting is a follow-up to the Adderall story we wrote last month. I would like to give readers a sense of the different approaches people are taking to address this issue. In the November 18 Spokesman editorial, the writer called for “A combination of [public education campaigns] and monitoring programs … to stem the rising tide of prescription drug abuse.” This article will show that some of these strategies are in place or at least in the beginning stages. I think this will be a shorter article, around 500 words. The areas I want to look at are research, education and prevention, and legislation. There are two researchers at WSU currently conducting studies about prescription drug abuse at WSU, one of which I have been in contact with, and we have a tentative interview set for after he gets his results. I am working on getting an interview with a woman in Colfax who received a grant to work on education and prevention of prescription drug abuse. I have already spoken to Patricia Maarhuis with our Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Counseling Services about the school’s education and prevention campaigns. Also, I have an interview later this week to speak with Rob McKenna about his prevention programs and legislative work on the issue, which we briefly touched on in the first article. We also talked about the drug monitoring program in the first article sidebar, but I will include a note on that as well. Also, I plan to talk to pharmacists and/or doctors about any ways they are currently working to prevent ‘doctor shopping’, fraudulent prescriptions and fake symptoms.

More Adderall info

all the DEA information
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/brochures/stimulant/stimulant_abuse.htm

ADCAPS Web site has a section devoted to prescription drugs, on which Adderall is not mentioned
ADCAPS campaign last fall to bring awareness to prescription drug abuse, on Web site, says it is not a big problem but the trend is increasing (25% on college campuses from http://www.drugabuse.gov/DrugPages/PrescripDrugsChart.html)



questions to ask ADCAPS: Is this a problem you are seeing? If so, in what ways? What inspired your prescription drug campaign last fall? more about the campaign?

"Ongoing FDA Review:
The FDA is continuing its review of the strengths and limitations of this and other epidemiological studies that evaluate the risks of stimulant medications used to treat ADHD in children. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the FDA are sponsoring a large epidemiological study that will provide further information about the potential risks associated with stimulant medication use in children. The data collection for this study will be complete later in 2009. "

label info:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/index.cfm?fuseaction=Search.Label_ApprovalHistory

label: (page 10 for abuse and scheduled drug info)
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2007/011522s040lbl.pdf

black box warning:
http://drugs.about.com/od/bdrugandmedicalterms/g/blackboxdef.htm

NIDA Web site
injecting and blocking blood vessels
increase norepinephrine and dopamine-producing a high and possible addiction
usually doses start low and increase
ritalin use decreased over 2001-2008
1.1 million using stimulants nonmedically
but use is up in 18-25 year olds where use is highest over all the pop
only .5 % getting prescriptions online
http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/PainMed.html

Drug Enforcement Agency prescription drug abuse fact sheet:
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/prescription_drug_fact_sheet.html
DEA Internet drug trafficking initiatives over the past 3 years have identified and dismantled organizations based both in the U.S. and overseas, and arrested dozens of conspirators. tens of millions of dosage units of prescription drugs and tens of millions of dollars in assets have been seized.
DEA info on internet pharmacies:
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/cngrtest/ct051607.html
schedule II means:
• The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
• The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions.
• Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
• Examples of Schedule II substances include morphine, phencyclidine (PCP), cocaine, methadone, and methamphetamine.

on all websites it seems to be listed as an additional but not main source of concern. it is a schedule II, on the same level as cocaine and meth

addction and high information: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/abuse/chart.htm





data on ADHD med use in college students


http://jad.sagepub.com/cgi/rapidpdf/1087054708320399v1





diagnosing info: using caution in diagnosing because ppl are trying to get diagnosis without having ADHD


http://www.acha.org/prof_dev/ADHD_docs/Use_Misuse_of_Stimulants.pdf





huff post article on ADHD med abuse rise:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/24/86-percent-rise-in-adhd-m_n_266818.html





226 pg article answering all questions: online, adderall etc


http://www.casacolumbia.org/absolutenm/articlefiles/380-Under%20the%20Counter%20-%20Diversion.pdf





drug sharing:


http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2009/one-in-five-teens-share-their.html





1/5 adults misusuing alertness drugs:


http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2008/survey-shows-one-in-five.html





the problem is starting earlier:


http://cmif.pictco.org/default.asp?PageNum=583 (among other sources)



drug deaths/overdose:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theblotter/2009518118_pharmaceutical_opiates_leading.html

awesome neuro-enhancers article in the New Yorker:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/04/27/090427fa_fact_talbot

Adderall 500 Word

Background

Adderall IR was originally introduced by Shire Pharmaceuticals Inc. in 1996. Adderall IR is an instant-release amphetamine intended to treat Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, which is diagnosed in about four to ten percent of children in the U.S., according to the FDA Web site. Adderall IR is now produced by Teva Pharmaceuticals. Shire created and currently produces Adderall XR, an extended-release version of the original medicine. Adderall XR is also available in a generic form.

FDA

Health Canada banned Adderall for six months in 2005 after associations of the drug with Sudden Unexplained Death or SUD. The FDA conducted a study and is currently conducting another study to research the connection between SUD and Adderall use, according to its Web site. So far, however, the FDA has found no causal relationship. The FDA does recommend caution for users with heart conditions because Adderall seems to exacerbate these problems, possibly leading to death.

Even without a heart condition self-prescribing Adderall may have health consequences. Some of the risks listed on the FDA Web site include psychotic episodes, growth suppression, depression, headache, insomnia, loss of appetite and weightloss and general anxious feelings. The overdosage risks included more severe anxiety, heart problems and gastrointestinal problems.

The Adderall information on the FDA Web site even comes with a warning for prescribers about higher possibility of dependency, abuse and illegal distribution.

Young people may be abusing Adderall in part because of an ad campaign by Shire Development Inc., the creator and developer of Adderall XR. The FDA wrote a warning letter to the company in September 2008 about a campaign including a webpage and online video that overstate the impacts of Adderall and omit its negative side effects.

The webpage implied that Adderall helped school performance and decreased unhealthy sexual beahvior, among other impacts, none of which have been approved by the FDA. The video, featuring celebrity Ty Pennington, claimed that Adderall was a "life-changing" drug, with social effects like increased confidence.

Adderall's Web site now has a correction letter from Shire Vice President Michael Yasik.

Online Pharmacies

Another facet to the Aderrall problem is how easy it is to get the drug without a prescription. Search "buy Adderall" on Google.com and, first, the fill-in feature creates several options, including "buy Adderall XR online," "buy Adderall without prescription," "buy Adderall Mexico," and "buy Adderall online no prescription."

Then, Google finds almost nine hundred thousand results for "buy Adderall." The online pharmacy business is booming, according to a Sep. 28 Reuters article citing the Spring 2009 MarkMonitor Brandjacking Index. The MarkMonitor study found four certified online pharmacies among almost 3,000 drug sites, according to Reuters.

These non-certified pharmacies can discount their drugs up to 90 percent, and 64 percent of the pharmacies are based outside of the United States, two facts leading MarkMonitor to the conclusion that many of the drugs are of low or suspicious quality. Traffic on these sites is more than 40,000 hits per day, so even with deep discounts, online pharmacies generate $11 billion each year, according to Reuters.


Other
I found no information on state-wide laws or regulations for Adderall. Calls to the Pullman School District nurse have not been returned yet, but a Pullman High School counselor stated she has not seen Adderall abuse "at all".

adderall notes

Canada: banned in 2005 for SUD link, removed ban 6 months later.
FDA researched SUD link and concluded it was highest for those with cardiac complications and should be avoided in those children, but concluded that SUD cases were not overly high in children taking Adderall
FDA continues to have issues arise with Adderall and continues to conclude that Adderall is a safe medication
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/DrugSafetyInformationforHeathcareProfessionals/ucm084006.htm
FDA is currently in a study to determine adderall as a risk factor is SUD
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/DrugSafetyInformationforHeathcareProfessionals/ucm165858.htm
2007 FDA required drug producers to include in patient info the cardiovascular risk
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm107863.htm
September 2008, Adderall marketed as a life-changing drug, with celebrity backing, overstating efficacy, understating risks. FDA demanded ads be removed
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/EnforcementActivitiesbyFDA/WarningLettersandNoticeofViolationLetterstoPharmaceuticalCompanies/ucm053995.pdf
general FDA info about adderall:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2004/021303s005lbl.pdf
more general info:
http://www.bing.com/health/article.aspx?id=articles%2fgs%2fpages%2f2%2f869-128.htm&br=lv&q=adderall&FORM=K1RE
wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adderall
generic version?
website:
http://www.adderallxr.com/
Reuters online pharmacies article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS95363+28-Sep-2009+BW20090928

adderall links

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2009/10/02/cb.brown.addiction.adderall.cnn

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=adderall&init=quick#/pages/Adderall/80427928523?ref=search&sid=680701152.3242353171..1

http://thegreatfitnessexperiment.blogspot.com/2009/10/adderall-perfect-life-in-pill.html

http://cougster.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=851

http://www.usnodrugs.com/news.htm?cid=3283&s=Wisconsin

Court Documents Search

Fousseyni Kone, a Pullman resident, was charged with first degree rape and harassment with a sexual motive, according to Whitman County Superior Court documents. Kone is appealing both of these charges.


The original complaints against Kone were second degree rape, unlawful imprisonment with a sexual motivation and harassment. These complaints were then changed to first degree rape, assault with a sexual motivation and harassment with sexual motivation. Kone was found not guilty of assault with a sexual motivation, according to court documents.


The following information is from police reports compiled by Officer Greg Umbright of the Pullman Police Department. The victim, identified as MLM, came to the Pullman Police Department on Oct 7, 2007 claiming to have been assaulted and raped in the apartment of a man she met on a street while trying to find her friends. MLM identified three familiar apartment buildings, one of which was Kone’s. Opgenorth later returned to the apartments MLM identified and found that Kone’s was the only one with carpet matching the carpet fibers found on MLM’s clothes. DNA from Kone matched samples from DNA found in the victim. MLM also identified three photos of men she thought might be her assailant. Kone’s photo was one of the three.


Kone was found guilty of first degree rape and harassment with a sexual motive on March 5, 2009 and he appealed the decision on May 7, 2009, according to court documents. The case in currently in appeal.

Intro

I am a senior Journalism major, with Linguistics and History minors. Last year, I wrote for the Evergreen as a Life columnist, News and Life writer. I wrote for the Comm College Communicator, and, this summer, I interned with the web team at Portland Monthly, writing some articles, but mostly creating short web content for sidebars and the events calendar. This year, I will be the nonfiction editor for WSU's student journal LandEscapes.