“The Case for Reclassifying ADHD Stimulants”
The following is a personal essay, and not a medical recommendation endorsed by ADDitude. For more information about treatment, speak with your physician.Since October 2022, thousands of individuals with ADHD have faced immense difficulty accessing prescribed stimulant medication – the treatment they need to function and lead healthy lives.
No relief is in sight.Make no mistake that the reason for the ongoing stimulant shortage has much to do with how stimulant medication itself is viewed.
After all, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies stimulants as Schedule II drugs for their “high potential for abuse” and sets national drug quotas for these substances based on that classification.12 This drug quota is, arguably, a major factor driving the shortage.3Like many psychiatrists, I have taken the Schedule II classification of stimulants at face value for most of my career.
Prescription stimulants are Schedule II, so they must be very addictive. How do I know? Because they are Schedule II.This circular thinking has stopped me – and likely others – from noticing the mismatch between this classification and what I observe clinically.
United States
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Cases: 46 252 513
Deaths: 750 423
Recovered: 0
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India
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Cases: 34 321 025
Deaths: 459 652
Recovered: 0
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Brazil
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Cases: 21 835 785
Deaths: 608 235
Recovered: 0
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United Kingdom
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Cases: 9 215 683
Deaths: 141 607
Recovered: 0
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Russia
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Cases: 8 494 589
Deaths: 237 619
Recovered: 0
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