Adderall prescriptions have more than doubled in recent years. Americans between 20 and 39 received 14 million prescriptions in 2011, compared to 5.6 million in 2007. Some students say the drug helps them feel more energized and alert.

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: Because this article pertains to illicit substance usage, some names have been changed to protect privacy.

When John, a senior accounting and finance major, has homework to do, the solution is simple: Pop a pill, stay up all night and get it done.

Once an easy fix to busy schedules and heaps of homework, prescription Adderall is becoming harder to find, posing problems for students who rely on the drug to get through stressful semesters. The stimulant is used to treat symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and though record numbers of prescriptions are being written across the country, government and school initiatives are working to stem the flow of Adderall on this campus.

John and Sara, a junior psychology major, said the drug is easy enough for them to get — Sara buys it through a friend of a friend, paying roughly $5 a pill, sometimes more for a higher dose.

The number of Adderall prescriptions written for adults has more than doubled in recent years. Americans aged 20 to 39 received 14 million prescriptions for the drug in 2011; 5.6 million went to the same demographic in 2007, according to IMS Health.

John said he is opposed to most drugs but said he uses Adderall — for which he does not have a prescription — to get more work done, sometimes working up to 15 hours straight.

Sara does not have a prescription either. Although she tries not to depend on it, she uses Adderall when she needs to stay awake and get a large amount of work done, she said. Adderall makes her focused, energized and more interested in what she is doing.

But the national increase in prescriptions doesn’t translate to an increase on this campus.

As the number of prescriptions has risen, so has the frequency of abuse, making prescription stimulants like Adderall the second-most common illicit drug used by college students after marijuana, according to the National Institutes of Health, and as a result, officials are enacting new restrictions to limit the amount of the drug available to students.

And while the number of prescriptions may be rising, the number filled at this university is declining. After requiring students to get ADHD screenings off the campus, the University Health Center pharmacy saw a drop in the number of students presenting Adderall prescriptions, The Diamondback reported in 2012. In the 2010-11 school year, 660 prescriptions for the drug made up 3.2 percent of all prescriptions filled. In 2007-08, 1,163 Adderall prescriptions made up 4.7 percent of the total.

The CVS on Route 1 fills about 100 Adderall prescriptions per month but has to turn away many requests because it doesn’t have enough of the drug to meet the high demand, said Jessica Lewandowski, a CVS pharmacist.

The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies drugs into five categories called “schedules,” with Schedule I containing the most dangerous drugs and V containing the least dangerous ones. Adderall is considered a Schedule II drug alongside cocaine and methamphetamine. In December 2011, the DEA published quotas for pharmacies, limiting how much of certain Schedule I and II drugs they are allowed to order per month based on demand and potential for abuse in their area, Lewandowski said.

Because the CVS on Route 1 is located next to a college campus, which hosts a high number of potential abusers, the pharmacy can now fill about half the prescriptions it used to, Lewandowski said.

Finding a source for the drugs can be a challenge, Sara said, though the restrictions haven’t had an impact. It’s by no means easy, but both Sara and John said anyone can find Adderall if they look hard enough.

Adderall is considered dangerous because of its side effects and widespread use. Insomnia and loss of appetite are just two of the negative side effects of taking Adderall without a prescription. Others include high blood pressure, paranoia and increased risk of heart attack or seizure. Also, Adderall is extremely addictive and risk of dependence is high, according to the NIH.

John uses the drug two to three times a week and even more often during exam weeks. Since he started using Adderall, he sleeps only five or six hours a night and sometimes will go long periods without eating, he said.

Sara said she worries about becoming dependent on the drug and tries to use it only when she feels she really needs it.

“I try to rely on myself as much as I can,” she said. “If I had to, I could get stuff done without. It just wouldn’t be as good.”