ADHD Medication Alert: FDA Warns of Counterfeit Adderall

The FDA recently released about a fake version of Adderall, a common drug used in the treatment of diseases like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (or ADHD) that has been showing up on websites recently and may contain harmful ingredients.

The actual drug Adderall is мейд by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and has been in short supply for over a year. Teva learned about the bogus version of their product after two complaints from customers who purchased the 30 milligram (mg) dosage of the drug online.

After lab tests, officials found that the fakes contain different active ingredients than real Adderall. Instead of any of the four substances that treat the symptoms of ADHD, the tests found two active ingredients which are used to treat pain. So far, the bogus drug has been found only in the 30 mg dosage. The FDA says that it doesn’t yet know how many people may have purchased the fake product or how many injuries the scam may have caused.

Genuine Adderall is мейд from substances that can be addictive, and so those chemicals are tightly regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Drug companies have complained that the amount of Adderall’s active ingredients, also called mixed amphetamine salts, that the DEA allows drug makers to produce each year isn’t enough to meet the demand for the drug by actual patients. Because of this, drugs like Adderall may be targets for scammers.

Officials are asking people to check their medications, particularly if they purchased them from an online source. The fake drugs are white, with no markings on the pills themselves, unlike real Adderall, which has markings on the pill and is light orange in color. The counterfeits also come in so-called ‘blister pods,’ or packaging which allows users to push the pill out of foil packets. Adderall, at the 30 mg dosage, is distributed only in 100-count bottles. The fakes may also have spelling mistakes on the packaging. Details about the mistakes found so far are included in the, along with pictures of both real and bogus versions of the pills and packaging.

Those who are concerned that they, or a loved one, may have taken the fake version of the drug are advised to seek medical advice immediately. The FDA is also asking people and doctors to report any negative effects that are the result of the fake drug to their MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program, which can be done by phone or. If you are concerned about how to determine whether or not an online source of medications is safe, the FDA also has a tip sheet about.

Author Bio:

Written on behalf of .  Mr Ginarte is a serving New York and New Jersey.  He has been an appointee to the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Civil Practices Committee and is also a former president of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey. Mr. Ginarte is admitted to New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. bar.