A New ADHD Drug Has a Lot of People Worried

Psychiatrists are warning against a new ADHD medication called Adzenys, which launched this month and is notable for its similarities to candy. The FDA-approved amphetamine is very similar to Adderall, except for the fact that it’s chewable and tastes good—think Flintstone vitamins that can also get you high.

The drug is legal to prescribe to anyone over 6 years old suffering from ADHD, and since similar drugs have addictive elements, it’s easy to see why there’s concern over making something that's potentially addictive taste good too, especially when children are likely to be the drug's primary demographic.

The drug was launched by Neos Therapeutics, whose CEO, Vipin Garg, admitted that the company is ramping up promotion of the drug “ahead of back-to-school season,” and that they’re “launching now at full speed.”

It’s that kind of strategy that has some observers very concerned. Dr. Mukund Gnanadesikan, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Napa, California thinks the drug’s candylike properties make it "a recipe for people to request it and then sell it.”

“I’m not a big fan of controlled substances that come in forms that can be easily abused—and certainly a chewable drug falls into that category,” he added.

Stimulants used to treat ADHD are among the most abused prescription drugs in the country, especially among teenagers who often use them as party drugs. 

Keep all your medicine handy in this Restoration Hardware Royal Naval Porthole Mirrored Medicine Cabinet, and let us know if you're concerned about the release of Adzenys.