The hunt for effective medications is now considerably more difficult for the tens of thousands of people who rely on them to manage diseases like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The two people in charge of California-based telemedicine startup Done Global, according to the Justice Department, were taken into custody on Thursday. They are charged with masterminding a $100 million scam in which stimulant medications were given to people who had no real medical need.
Healthcare and public health experts around the country have received an alert from the CDC in response to the action taken against Done Global. The CDC has issued a warning regarding the possible repercussions of this action, including the potential for patients to turn to the black market for drugs and swallow fake medications that might include dangerous ingredients like fentanyl. According to the CDC notification, the legal actions taken against Done Global may cause healthcare interruptions for 30,000–50,000 people in each of the 50 states.
Stimulant drugs such as Adderall have been on the federal shortage list since 2022. Consequently, people often had to travel long distances to find pharmacies that carried the drug.
Adderall's Schedule II classification as a prohibited substance highlights the substance's considerable risk of addiction or abuse. Federal prescribing guidelines for prohibited narcotics were loosened in response to the epidemic, allowing telemedicine prescriptions for these drugs.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration administrator Anne Milgram said on Friday that the defendants allegedly exploited telemedicine rules put in place during the COVID-19 outbreak. They allegedly targeted Americans and put financial gain ahead of meeting legitimate medical needs, which led to the exploitation of addictive drugs. Patients were allegedly provided Adderall and other highly addictive drugs by Done Global, an online telehealth company that offers a monthly subscription service, even though it was not medically necessary. Millions of dollars were allegedly made as a result of their acts."
The company offered a $79 monthly membership, and according to its website, ADHD medicine would only be approved for 30 days at a time.
About 10% of children and 4% of adults suffer from ADHD. Common symptoms include fidgeting, talking too much, or impulsiveness, as well as difficulties finishing activities or adhering to directions because of easy distractibility. During the epidemic, there was a rise in the demand for ADHD medicine prescriptions, especially from young people and women.
According to Milgram, giving Adderall and other prescription stimulant pills to those who don't actually need them worsens the scarcity and has a detrimental effect on Americans who do need these drugs. She went on to say that the DEA will continue to prosecute anyone—including business executives—who uses telehealth platforms to enhance their financial interests at the expense of patient safety.
Medical professionals were cautioned by the CDC to watch out for overdose symptoms and to be mindful of patients who are untreated for ADHD. Untreated ADHD raises a person's chance of having drug or alcohol use disorders, experiencing suicidal thoughts, experiencing social and emotional challenges, and suffering unintended injuries like those from car accidents, according to the CDC.