Adderall Use Increasing in Young Adults

US Pharm. 2016;41(3):16.

Baltimore, MD—New research from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health indicates that although the number of prescriptions for Adderall remains unchanged in young adults, misuse and emergency department visits related to the stimulant have risen dramatically in this population. A trend analysis for 2006 through 2011 revealed that it is mainly individuals aged 18 to 25 years who are taking Adderall inappropriately without a prescription, are getting the drug primarily from friends and family, and are lacking a physician recommendation. Investigators, noting that stimulants are used especially by college students as a study aid, theorize that many such students believe that the medication improves their ability to study. Adderall can result in serious adverse effects, and there is little information on long-term effects.