The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has warned that “aggressive marketing practices” by telehealth companies could be adding to the overprescribing of attention hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications.
Adderall prescriptions increased by 10.4 percent in 2021 and 10.9 percent through October 2022, compared to an approximately 5 percent increase in the three years prior.
A letter from the DEA to drug manufacturers said, “DEA must ensure that any quota granted for the manufacturing of controlled substances used to treat ADHD is driven by a legitimate need and not improperly driven purely by profit motive, pressure from marketing firms, or a desire to obtain more market share—all factors that led to an oversupply of opioids during the prescription opioid crisis.”
