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Steps PCPs can take to address nonmedical stimulant use in college-aged adults
SAN FRANCISCO — Clinicians should be prepared to discuss the use of non-medical prescription stimulant medications with college-aged patients, according to a presenter at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.
“This is not a new problem. Stimulants are risky, and especially in the hands of individuals who are going to misuse/abuse them or use illicitly prepared formulations,” Anthony L. Rostain, MD, MA, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics and Adult ADHD Treatment and Research Program Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania medical director, said in the session. “This is not to say we shouldn’t be using them with patients — of course we should — but we should be aware of the variety of difficulties.”
Stimulant medications including amphetamine, methylphenidate and modafinil were approved by the FDA as treatments for conditions such as ADHD, narcolepsy and binge eating disorder.
To address nonmedical stimulant misuse, Rostain recommended using long-acting prescription stimulants with less abuse potential and educating patients on the various risks that come with sharing their prescription stimulants with friends. He also recommended that patients safely store their prescription stimulants, monitor the number of pills and include family members in their treatment plans to prevent misuse.
For more Healio coverage of this study, please click here. – by Erin Michael and Savannah Demko
Reference:
Rostain A, et al. Facing the challenges of misuse and abuse stimulant medications for ADHD: from neurobiology to clinical care. Presented at: APA Annual Meeting; May 18-22, 2019; San Francisco.
Disclosures: Rostain reports royalties from St. Martin’s Press and Routledge/Taylor Francis Group; being on the advisory board for Arbor Pharmaceuticals and Shire/Takeda; and consulting for the National Football League