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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

#231

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…

>which were written by abusive doctors, but the pharmacies are the ones who got sued

Must be nice to have a professional organization that acts like a cartel and makes lesser people pay for the sins of all but the worst of the worst actors.

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

#232
post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I concur, pharmacists have no legal basis nor license basis in determining the decision making of a licensed medical doctor. The doctor is the one that provided the care came up with the diagnosis and came up with the plan for the prescription for the medication. The only role the pharmacist has is in dispensing that medication. it's wholly inappropriate for a pharmacist to get into the business of second guessing th…

No … just no. For one thing, pharmacists aren’t just retailers. For example, I take a very powerful medication. It’s essential to get the dose just right. My health care organization employs a pharmacist who sepecializes in the medication, and sets the doses for patients in the program. This pharmacist doesn’t dispense medication. She instructs the physicians on what dose to prescribe. I recently had an extremely pai…

as mentioned throughout the comments I've also seen many situations where patients that were given prescriptions were then turned away by pharmacists because they didn't like the type of clothes that the person was wearing or they didn't think that there was a diagnosis to match the prescription, or that the doctor was too far away in a different town in the same state, Even though the patient might have been taking this medication for 20 years or more... This is only happening recently within the last few years, specifically after the multibillion dollar settlement by CVS and Walgreens that happened in November of 2022... so I'm not buying it that pharmacists are allowed to Trump the decision making of medical doctors.

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

#233
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I am prescribed to take one pill each day. I prefer to keep this up on the weekends because I like being able to function even when I'm not being paid to. I can only fill a prescription once a month. The pill bottles have 28 pills in them.

What possibly would be left over?

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

#234
post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amphetamines and methamphetamine are closely related. Methamphetamine is actually a derivative of amphetamine. So - you're wrong. And with that stupid insult you added at the end, you look even dumber.

> Amphetamines and methamphetamine are closely related. In the field of biochemistry, this is virtually meaningless. A single substitution group is capable of producing wild changes in pharmacokinetics. The left and right-handed enantiomers of these molecules don't even act the same way in the body, and these aren't even positional isomers. The similarities with AMP and MAMP begin and end with being TAAR1 agonists. O…

Methamphetamine is not a substitution for amphetamine. A substitution refers to the replacement of one atom or group of atoms in a molecule with another atom or group of atoms. A derivative, on the other hand, refers to a molecule that is derived from another molecule by modifying its molecular structure. In the case of amphetamine and methamphetamine, methamphetamine is derived from amphetamine by adding a methyl group (-CH3) to the amphetamine molecule, which modifies its molecular structure.

Amphetamines and methamphetamine are closely related drugs, as methamphetamine is a type of amphetamine. They both work in a similar way by increasing the release and blocking the reuptake of certain neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, in the brain. As a result, they both have similar effect.

All you're doing is microdosing a terrible drug and calling it treatment. Addicts defend this, not logical healthy people.

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

#236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never had a problem getting pseudoephedrine, though it is behind the counter in a pharmacy these days. There are limits, but they are well over what I would consider a therapeutic dose. I don't know if that varies state-to-state, but I doubt it's a federal issue.

Pharmacists and pharmacy techs are given "training" on how to identify supposed fraudulent sales. e.g. if your hair is long or you otherwise look like a person who would manufacturer amphetamines (whatever that looks like) they won't sell it to you. So, congrats to you for looking like a fine upstanding person and not like a clandestine drugs manufacturer.

Anyone can by pseudoephedrine, but there’s a system that checks to make sure you haven’t exceeded your monthly limit, and if someone is talking about meth or makes a joke about meth while buying pseudoephedrine, it might raise a red flag, but generally pharmacies sell it to anyone since there’s really no workaround the the monthly limits.

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

#237

It’s nice to see some reporting on the potential causes of the issues folks are facing with filling Adderall prescriptions. I’ll provide an anecdotal observation… My SO has narcolepsy and uses Adderall to, quite literally, function. It’s unfortunate that this malady wasn’t referenced in the article but considering it affects (and I’m guessing here) less than 5% of the population, it makes sense. However (and I can ap…

There’s always methamphetamine, dextroamphetamine and brand names for different amphetamines or drugs like methylphenidate and armodafinil, and then of course the specialty name drugs.

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

#238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you considered gaunfacine? https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601059.html I had long suspected I had ADHD. After covid, my brain became wrecked. I wanted to go with something non-addictive due to my checkered past. Easily would recommend, as long as you don't have terribly low blood pressure. NAD.

Another thing to try is NAD+/CoQ10 supplements. I had some brain fog after covid (I'm officially diagnosed) and NAD+ seemed to help a ton. I had researched the brain fog with covid 19 and found a lot of research pointing to NAD+ / mitochondrial disruptions as source of brain fatigue [eg 1]. NAD+ supplements are well studied for anti-aging too. So it seemed to have a high probability of helping. 1: https://www.ncbi.nl…

How to increase one's NAD+ levels?

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

#239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 (passed as part of the patriot act) This change was passed under special anti-terrorist powers? (Not US so possible misunderstood)

I found this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_Methamphetamine_Epidemi... It was added as a part of a reauthorization of the original Patriot Act. US Federal policy making and legislation is a bit like calvinball. And for misc reasons, Congress tends to pass large (omnibus) bills, instead of more reasonable units of work. As an outsider looking in, I collect and read stuff about "the sausage factory". Here's one…

Super helpful - thanks!

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

#240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do they have nothing to do? They’re part of the feedback cycle. They’re the hand that feeds.

Not a lawyer, but it seems plausible that doctors here do 'nothing' in terms of doing damages that would establish legal standing. A doctor that is prescribing medications indicated to treat a diagnosed condition at reasonable dosages isn't doing harm/inflicting damages on patients. And if there are broader social harms coming from aggregated practices of physicians in general (e.g. over-prescribing), it would be unr…

Thank you for articulating all of this, I don't think I'd have been able to put it this well.
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