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Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

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Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#11
After the pharmacies got sued for filling opiate prescriptions (which were written by abusive doctors, but the pharmacies are the ones who got sued)[1], is it any surprise that Xanax and Adderall are being limited? If pharmacies are at risk for filling prescriptions that are more complex than antibiotics, the end result is that they make it harder to fill them.

[1] https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/finance/federal-jury-holds-...

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#12
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that to be expected, though? There's plenty of people who wouldn't subject themselves to the ordeal of going to the doctors to pursue a diagnosis of an untreatable disease. You just suffer through it. In contrast, if there's a known treatment for it, then the reward (not having ADD symptoms) dramatically outweighs the cost (of drudging through doctors appointments). I'd bet the number of surgeries significantly…

I suppose, but anecdotally I was told I have ADD by my family physician and was prescribed various stimulants including adderall and ritalin. I only stopped and got on a patch based medication when I was losing weight because of the amphetamines destroying my appetite and I was already a skinny bastard. The only difference I felt on the medication is that I was methed up. This could have been a misdiagnosis but the t…

Good comment, but Adderall is Amphetamine, not Methamphetamine. Big difference.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You underestimate college students because that is exactly what we did in college. People went to their doctor, faked hyperactivity, and were given adderall which they then sold to other students. I'm sure your ADD is horrible but try telling someone taking these drugs to stop. They won't. They depend on it too much and it's become part of their personality, and their belief that it is what they need. Just. Like. Oxy…

A choice must be made. Either be more restrictive and controlling meaning that some people that need the drugs don't get them. Or be less restrictive and controlling meaning that some people you think shouldn't get the drugs get them.

There's other ways to realign incentives. A buy back program would do a lot honestly to restrict the supply. A lot of people who got them for legit purposes would still end up with a ton leftover when they would get their next prescription. If they were able to get more money returning them to the pharmacy or counting them towards their next prescription than selling them to other students, that's what they would do.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#14
post #12
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suppose, but anecdotally I was told I have ADD by my family physician and was prescribed various stimulants including adderall and ritalin. I only stopped and got on a patch based medication when I was losing weight because of the amphetamines destroying my appetite and I was already a skinny bastard. The only difference I felt on the medication is that I was methed up. This could have been a misdiagnosis but the t…

Good comment, but Adderall is Amphetamine, not Methamphetamine. Big difference.

Methamphetamine can be prescribed for ADHD under the trade name Desoxyn, but it's less common because the side effects are worse.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#15

This seems just a little bit of a conspiracy theory but, giving it credence I would say that it might be because the drugs are ridiculously overprescribed. Particularly for those who just don't need it. In the case of ADD, once there was a medication for it the diagnosis took off like a rocket. Sort of like oxycodone..

Left handedness used to be about 2% of the US population. Now it's about 12%.

While it could be that somehow we've got an epidemic of left-handedness that blossomed in the 1920s, what's much more likely is that we've gotten more accommodating and understanding of left handed people, so there was less incentive to fit the mold of right handed folks.

I'm sure there were people who were alarmed at that rise, who felt that we didn't really need left handed tools and accommodations for the "2% of people who are left handed", but when you made those things available, we stabilized at about 12%.

Antidepressants and ADHD meds are, imo, in a similar place -- we've increased our understanding, we've increased our accommodations, we no longer force the people who experience those maladies into the stress of acting 'normal'.

Once you remove demonization, of course diagnosis are going to skyrocket. When it's no longer a scary thing to admit depression, ADHD, or autism, it becomes easier to get evaluated and care for them. I experience depression, I am on an SSRI, it helps me a TON. Historically, I might have been involuntarily committed or been told to "deal with it". I guarantee you I would not be as successful as I am now if I didn't have the support I do.

(Similarly, I expect you see a lot more people being "out" in the LGBTQ+ community as a result of a similar phenomena. Once it's no longer criminal or "get lynched" territory, we see numbers of gay and trans folks increase.)

These things seem like fads. They usually aren't, they are usually the case of a particular mode of people being pressured to be silent and invisible. When you remove that negative stigma, the revert to the mean can be dramatic, but it will stabilize at a new normal level.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that to be expected, though? There's plenty of people who wouldn't subject themselves to the ordeal of going to the doctors to pursue a diagnosis of an untreatable disease. You just suffer through it. In contrast, if there's a known treatment for it, then the reward (not having ADD symptoms) dramatically outweighs the cost (of drudging through doctors appointments). I'd bet the number of surgeries significantly…

You underestimate college students because that is exactly what we did in college. People went to their doctor, faked hyperactivity, and were given adderall which they then sold to other students. I'm sure your ADD is horrible but try telling someone taking these drugs to stop. They won't. They depend on it too much and it's become part of their personality, and their belief that it is what they need. Just. Like. Oxy…

I'm not interested in protecting the people that game their doctor. They decided on their own they wanted the drug and dishonestly represented themselves to obtain it. That's their own prerogative, if that causes problems then that should not result in punishment for those acting with honesty.

This is not "just. like. Oxy." in so many cases. Many of these were people in pain management with zero deceit involved on the side of the patient.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#17
post #12
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suppose, but anecdotally I was told I have ADD by my family physician and was prescribed various stimulants including adderall and ritalin. I only stopped and got on a patch based medication when I was losing weight because of the amphetamines destroying my appetite and I was already a skinny bastard. The only difference I felt on the medication is that I was methed up. This could have been a misdiagnosis but the t…

Good comment, but Adderall is Amphetamine, not Methamphetamine. Big difference.

Methamphetamine is a schedule 2 drug and prescribed in the US, though significantly more rarely than amphetamine. Is there a difference between oral consumption of amphetamine and methamphetamine dosed out in correct proportion to the salts in question? Maybe, but certainly not that "big" of a difference.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#18

After the pharmacies got sued for filling opiate prescriptions (which were written by abusive doctors, but the pharmacies are the ones who got sued)[1], is it any surprise that Xanax and Adderall are being limited? If pharmacies are at risk for filling prescriptions that are more complex than antibiotics, the end result is that they make it harder to fill them. [1] https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/finance/federal-jur…

> is it any surprise that Xanax and Adderall are being limited?

That depends on who is doing the limiting — if the pharmacy corporations are self-limiting then I would understand they are limiting their potential exposure/liability to whatever risk level they are comfortable with. I’ll still be able to find my necessary drugs at another chain which doesn’t limit.

If the government is doing the limiting, then yes, that would be surprising. That seems to be the case here, and I think it’s a very inappropriate response — totally attacks the wrong part of the system.

Re: Xanax and Adderall Access Is Being Blocked by Secret Drug Limits

#20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that to be expected, though? There's plenty of people who wouldn't subject themselves to the ordeal of going to the doctors to pursue a diagnosis of an untreatable disease. You just suffer through it. In contrast, if there's a known treatment for it, then the reward (not having ADD symptoms) dramatically outweighs the cost (of drudging through doctors appointments). I'd bet the number of surgeries significantly…

You underestimate college students because that is exactly what we did in college. People went to their doctor, faked hyperactivity, and were given adderall which they then sold to other students. I'm sure your ADD is horrible but try telling someone taking these drugs to stop. They won't. They depend on it too much and it's become part of their personality, and their belief that it is what they need. Just. Like. Oxy…

ADHD is an ADA-recognized disability. I doubt you’d support secret limits on mobility scooter orders because college kids sometimes steal golf carts. Why is this different?
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