It is an increasing epidemic across college campuses that students are popping pills to get an academic advantage. The drug is Adderall, a prescription drug that is illegally abused by many students to study.
The pill gives students the ability to pull all-nighters and study for days with only a few hours of sleep. It is a stimulant that makes the heart pound and blood rush.
A recent shortage of Adderall nationwide has hit the D.C. area hard with pharmacists unable to fill any legitimate prescriptions, and students worrying about their performance.
The problem stems from the fact that Adderall, used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a narcotic, so it is controlled through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Since the FDA limits the manufacturer’s use of a chemical in Adderall, the manufacturer must stop making the drug when it reaches its annual limit.
On its website, the FDA has listed Adderall as a drug in shortage since this past July, and now the shortage is catching up with local pharmacies. Warnings from the U.S. National Library of Medicine have also been published.
“The drug is on temporary back order, we were not provided clear dates of when we will have it back in stock,” said Angela Odunlami, a pharmacist at the College Park CVS Pharmacy on Baltimore Ave.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, Adderall has many side effects, including restlessness, difficulty sleeping, uncontrollable shaking, headache, nausea and loss of appetite.
Some of the more serious side effects listed are an irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, chest pain, excessive tiredness, paranoia, hallucinating, mania, fever and more.
“The biggest problem is that it is highly addictive, it is easy to get dependent on it,” Odunlami said. “If you are not prescribed, it gets you high, it’s in the same class as speed and can cause high blood pressure which can lead to stroke or heart disease.”
(Picture provided by Google Images)
Adderall is a schedule two controlled substance, in the same category as cocaine and the pain killer oxycontin. Anyone caught selling or giving it to someone without a prescription can wind up in prison.
There is a misperception on campus that because the drugs are prescribed and come from a pharmacy, they are safe.
According to a spokeswoman from the health center, most students assume that it is not dangerous because it is prescribed for so many of their peers. The potential dangers include high heart rate, which can lead to seizures.
Dozens of pharmacies around the area are all saying the same thing – no Adderall and no one is sure when they’ll be restocked.