Surveillance of Diversion and Nonmedical Use of Extended-Release Prescription Amphetamine and Oral Methylphenidate in the United States

• Published in: Journal of addictive diseases 2013-01, Vol.32 (1), p.26-38
• Main Authors: Sembower, Mark A., Ertischek, Michelle D., Buchholtz, Chloe, Dasgupta, Nabarun, Schnoll, Sidney H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; amphetamine; Amphetamine - administration & dosage; Amphetamine-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Amphetamines; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - drug therapy; Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; Biological and medical sciences; Central Nervous System Stimulants - administration & dosage; Child; Child, Preschool; Databases, Factual; Delayed-Action Preparations; Drug abuse; Drug addiction; Drug addictions; Drug and Narcotic Control; Drug Prescriptions - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Medical sciences; Methylphenidate; Methylphenidate - administration & dosage; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacies - statistics & numerical data; Pharmacies - trends; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Poison centres; Poison Control Centers - statistics & numerical data; Poison Control Centers - trends; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - statistics & numerical data; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - trends; Prescription Drug Misuse; Prescription drugs; Prescriptions; psycho- stimulants; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Psychotropic drugs; Substance abuse; substance abuse and dependence; Toxicology; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1055-0887; 1545-0848
• DOI: 10.1080/10550887.2012.759880

This article examines rates of nonmedical use and diversion of extended-release amphetamine and extended-release oral methylphenidate in the United States. Prescription dispensing data were sourced from retail pharmacies. Nonmedical use data were collected from the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS) System Drug Diversion Program and Poison Center Program. Drug diversion trends nearly overlapped for extended-release amphetamine and extended-release oral methylphenidate. Calls to poison centers were generally similar; however, calls regarding extended-release amphetamine trended slightly lower than those for extended-release oral methylphenidate. Data suggest similar diversion and poison center call rates for extended-release amphetamine and extended-release oral methylphenidate.