The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has expressed concern that the “aggressive marketing practices” of telehealth companies may be contributing to over-prescriptions of drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a letter from the agency.
Although the letter does not mention specific companies, it is believed to refer to telehealth companies such as Cerebral Inc. and Done Global Inc., whose prescribing practices have allegedly been investigated by the DEA after bombarding social media with online ads on platforms such as instagram and Facebook.
The move follows an increase in Adderall prescriptions of 10.4% in 2021 and 10.9% through October 2022, following an annual increase of around 5% in the previous three years, data shows. from the research company IQVIA.
Adderall and the amphetamines used to classify it as Schedule II controlled substances by the DEA due to their high potential for abuse, as well as opioids such as OxyContin and fentanyl.
Above is the total number of Adderall pills, both branded and generic, dispensed in US pharmacies last year. Teva sold the most Adderall in the US in 2021
Adderall prescriptions increased by more than 10% in 2021 and through October 2022, following an annual increase of around 5% in the previous three years.
Telehealth company Done ran ads featuring images of pills promising quick ADHD diagnoses
The DEA is legally required to set a production quota for Schedule II drug ingredients each year.
In December, the DEA announced that it would not allow any increases in the production of pharmaceutical ingredients used to make Adderall and other stimulants for the treatment of ADHD in 2023.
The letter, which was sent to drugmakers over the summer but previously unreported, has been reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
The federal government will regulate the production of the ingredients needed to create the ADHD drug due to the potential for abuse.
The DEA’s decision to limit production, coupled with an increase in prescriptions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, is believed to have contributed to a shortage of Adderall, as noted by the US Food and Drug Administration in October.
Adderall prescriptions have steadily increased over the past 12 years. Figures include prescriptions for Adderall, brand and generic, in the United States
Both Cerebral and Done have said they don’t pressure clinicians and provide essential services, but the DEA is currently investigating the companies’ prescribing practices. Pictured is a snapshot of a brain video ad that aired in 2021 on Facebook
A spokesperson for Teva, the largest manufacturer of Adderall, said: “Teva is committed to patients who need access to the products their healthcare providers prescribe while fully committed to monitoring DEA controlled products carefully.”
The DEA’s letter explained how it was reviewing manufacturers’ requests for production quotas due to the “massive volume of ADHD drugs on the market, coupled with aggressive marketing practices and unregistered marketing companies.” origin of quota requests”.
41 million Adderall prescriptions were filled last year
“The DEA must ensure that any quota granted for the manufacture of controlled substances used to treat ADHD is motivated by a legitimate need and not motivated solely by profit, pressure from marketing companies or the desire to obtain more market share – all factors that led to an oversupply of opioids during the prescription opioid crisis,” reads the letter, signed by Kristi O’Malley, Deputy Administrator of the DEA’s Diversion Control Division.
In December, the DEA announced that it would maintain the same production “a for the ingredients used in the manufacture of Adderall and other drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2023 as it did in 2022”.
According to The Journal, telehealth companies Cerebral and Done are running ads featuring images of pills promising quick diagnoses of ADHD.
Some clinicians at these companies said they felt pressured to prescribe stimulants, and internal Cerebral presentations reportedly highlighted the higher cost-effectiveness of customers who were prescribed stimulants.
Adderall prescriptions have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2020, just before the virus broke out across America, the drug accounted for 1.1% of drugs. By September 2022, that figure had more than doubled to 2.31% of all scripts written
Cerebral and Done said they do not pressure clinicians or provide essential services, but the DEA is currently investigating the prescribing practices of these companies.
Cerebral said he has not been charged with breaking any laws and is cooperating fully with the investigation, while Done said he is committed to providing high-quality psychiatric care while respecting all laws. and applicable regulations.
The DEA also announced that it is considering revoking mail-order pharmacy Truepill’s ability to handle controlled substances, alleging the company has filled illegal prescriptions for Adderall in the past.
Truepill said it is cooperating with the DEA and will be able to show that there was no wrongdoing.
Truepill and Cerebral also announced that they would stop filling or prescribing stimulants, respectively.
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