An article published in the April 18, 2015, online edition of the
New York Times, reports on an emerging trend within the U.S workforce to abuse pharmaceutical amphetamine-based drugs and amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS). According to the article, this trend is a result of a perception shift among American workers who view stimulants less as pharmaceuticals with adverse effects, and more as harmless supplements that are essential to maintaining high levels of productivity (
Workers Seeking Productivity in a Pill Are Abusing A.D.H.D. Drugs).
To support their observations, the authors of the article cited a variety of sources including interviews with workers and prominent doctors, emergency room visit statistics related to stimulant use, and statistics from substance rehabilitation centers. Most of the users who were interviewed said they obtained amphetamine-based drugs by feigning symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to physicians. A 2013 report by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, cited by the authors, found that emergency room visits related to nonmedical use of prescription stimulants among adults 18 to 34 had tripled in the years from 2005 to 2011.
Researchers who study cognitive enhancement caution that although amphetamine-type stimulants such as Adderall, Vyvanse® and Concerta® have reputations as “smart pills”, few studies report that they actually improve cognition. Furthermore, according to the medical opinions cited in the article, these drugs may possess a high addictive potential that can lead to serious adverse side-effects.
Cerilliant offers a wide selection of solution based Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) of amphetamines and amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) including parent drugs and metabolites as well as their stable-labeled internal standards. These certified reference solutions are suitable for many mass spectrometry- based applications including forensic analysis, clinical toxicology, workplace drug testing, pain management, and sports testing. Since amphetamines and amphetamine-type stimulants are classified as controlled substances, we supply most of these reference standards as DEA-exempt solutions for added convenience.
Cerilliant reference standards are manufactured and certified to the highest industry standards including ISO Guide 34 and ISO/IEC 17025. Each Certified Spiking Solution® is supported by a comprehensive Certificate of Analysis (COA) which provides all analytical data and uncertainty and traceability information to support regulatory requirements. Click on the link below to view our complete listing of amphetamine and amphetamine-type stimulant certified reference standards: