The facts behind this story are incredible.
Clearly, they show the United States is madly in love with medication. No really, it's almost humorous. The rate at which we have began to medicate children is sky-rocketing, and it doesn't seem to be coming down anytime soon.
Americans medicate their children four times more than any other country in the world. Four times. Why? Well, that still hasn't been answered yet. Money? Maybe. The fact that the medication is actually beneficial. That could be argued.
In the United States, the diagnosis of ADHD in children has risen 3% each year from 1997-2006. As of 2006, 4.5 million children ages 5-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD.
But why are other countries not jumping on board with this new fad? Well it seems that they are being cautious. Actually, Canada recently banned Adderall from being prescribe within its borders in 2005. Why? Because there were over 20 reports of sudden death as a result of taking Adderall. Yes, death. But yet those reports didn't seem to slow down the U.S. diagnosis.
At that time, there were 11,000 patients on Adderall in Canada compared to 750,000 patients in the United States.
Shire, the cooperation which distributes Adderall said they were puzzled as to why Canada had temporarily banned the pills.
“We are surprised by this action from Health Canada,” said CEO Matthew Emmens. “Shire remains confident in the safety and efficacy of Adderall XR.” A spokesperson from Shire said.
Following the incidents of 20 "sudden deaths", the FDA required a label be placed on the bottles of Adderall warning of the possibilty of "sudden death".
Friday, April 30, 2010
Therapist Interview - A Medical Insight
I received my first interview from somebody in the medical field today, as I interviewed Mr. Bob Alan Clifton, over the phone. He is a therapist Topeka who acts as a mediator between patients and psychiatrist. He works with patients who are first beginning to question the possibility of seeking a diagnosis for their symptoms.
He talked to me over the phone, and discussed how he talks to patients about their symptoms, and the process that he goes through when considering a diagnosis. He seemed to be more cautious and conservative than the therapists who diagnosed the sources in my story. He said he usually doesn't make a diagnosis or suggest medication until the second or third meeting with his patients.
This further sparked my curiosity about the diagnosis process and why they are so incredibly different between different doctors.
Anyways, he dealt gave me some good information from a therapists point of view, and I felt it was interesting that he seemed more cautious with his patients, as if somebody finally understood that the medication that children are going on now for school work is incredibly powerful.
He talked to me over the phone, and discussed how he talks to patients about their symptoms, and the process that he goes through when considering a diagnosis. He seemed to be more cautious and conservative than the therapists who diagnosed the sources in my story. He said he usually doesn't make a diagnosis or suggest medication until the second or third meeting with his patients.
This further sparked my curiosity about the diagnosis process and why they are so incredibly different between different doctors.
Anyways, he dealt gave me some good information from a therapists point of view, and I felt it was interesting that he seemed more cautious with his patients, as if somebody finally understood that the medication that children are going on now for school work is incredibly powerful.
Changing the Focus
When initially planning this story, I was very intrigued at the diagnosis process of ADHD in patients. It seemed, to me at least, that it was a very inconsistent process. Why did psychiatrists have the seemingly utter freedom to prescribe this incredibly powerful substance in Adderall, a amphetamine based brain stimulant, to children with a simple question-answer session?
To me, this seemed slightly ludicrous. It seems in all other facets of life, children are protected, screened and given a more cautious approach. To me the medical field should be no different. But in this case, it is. However the problem is this is my opinion, and I feel if I were to focus my story on that aspect of the problem, or as of now a perceived problem, I would have my opinion enter the story too much. If I was to face this challenge I would need more time for the story.
And so now, I am shifting my focus to the story of two students on campus, and telling their stories of their experiences with the process of discovering the condition, and discovering the answers to it. But their stories, like many others on campus, are interesting in the fact that they discovered the pill illegally and bought it from fellow students on campus.
I feel that this focus is more centered around the K-State community and for this assignment, it is more appropriate.
To me, this seemed slightly ludicrous. It seems in all other facets of life, children are protected, screened and given a more cautious approach. To me the medical field should be no different. But in this case, it is. However the problem is this is my opinion, and I feel if I were to focus my story on that aspect of the problem, or as of now a perceived problem, I would have my opinion enter the story too much. If I was to face this challenge I would need more time for the story.
And so now, I am shifting my focus to the story of two students on campus, and telling their stories of their experiences with the process of discovering the condition, and discovering the answers to it. But their stories, like many others on campus, are interesting in the fact that they discovered the pill illegally and bought it from fellow students on campus.
I feel that this focus is more centered around the K-State community and for this assignment, it is more appropriate.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Interview with the Police
I spoke on the phone with K-State Chief of Police Ronnie Grice and Captain Don Stubbings today. I wasn't overly surprised when they told me that it is very difficult to police prescription drug abuse on campus.
Stubbings compared Marijuana and Adderall together and told me that when looking for something like Marijuana, it is easier to detect. Marijuana has a signature smell, as well as evidence of use such as a pipe or bags.
But with pills such as Adderall, it's different.
“When you see a bottle of pills you just assume it is a prescribed drug, and it’s not signaling ‘Well what is this prescription’. Where if you walk into a room and saw a pipe or a sack of marijuana, the red light comes on and says there is a problem here.” He said.
Because of this he told me that less than five cases have been reported that he knows of on the K-State campus.
Meanwhile Grice told me that he too struggles to find solutions to the problem and that the department is working with the university to find solutions.
"The KSU Police department works with staff and students to identify potential problems." He said.
Stubbings compared Marijuana and Adderall together and told me that when looking for something like Marijuana, it is easier to detect. Marijuana has a signature smell, as well as evidence of use such as a pipe or bags.
But with pills such as Adderall, it's different.
“When you see a bottle of pills you just assume it is a prescribed drug, and it’s not signaling ‘Well what is this prescription’. Where if you walk into a room and saw a pipe or a sack of marijuana, the red light comes on and says there is a problem here.” He said.
Because of this he told me that less than five cases have been reported that he knows of on the K-State campus.
Meanwhile Grice told me that he too struggles to find solutions to the problem and that the department is working with the university to find solutions.
"The KSU Police department works with staff and students to identify potential problems." He said.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Disability Support Service Offers Counseling to ADHD Patients
Manhattan, Kan. — Nestled in the heart of the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan, Kan., Holton Hall has made life a little bit easier for a myriad of K-State students.
Housed inside this building is the Kansas State Disability Support Services.
While the hall is home to a service that assists several types of disabilities, nearly 125 students at K-State use this building as a haven, according to service director Andrea Blair, to discuss their troubles with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
To them, it’s a place for them to talk about their daily lives in school battling the effects of ADHD.
“The most consistent thing about all of them (the patients) are the inconsistencies.” Blair said. “But some similarities, what I hear, are students in a test get real distracted when people start getting up from their seats. They get very anxious that they are going to run out of time because everyone else is already done."
Blair personally assists students with their academic struggles related to ADHD, and she says she has seen an evolution of this disorder evolve within the college environment.
“It has definitely increased over time,” Blair said. “But I have had ADHD since I have been here.”
While the center is not an area for students to receive medical treatment for ADHD, it serves as a center for aide in their schoolwork.
“We don’t talk a lot about the medications,” Blair said. “We talk more about academic accommodations such a test-taking accommodations, time management, more class room accommodations.”
Blair also does not discuss the possible negative side effects of Adderall such as weight loss, dependency, depression and even sudden death, according to an article published by Dr. Vicent Iannelli on the Pediatrics webite of About.com
“They [doctors] are the ones actually prescribing the medications.” Blair said. “They are the ones that are going to need to have the conversations with them about the medications. I’m more about the grades and the classroom.”
In fact the Disability Service Support Service has strict guidelines when treating ADHD and patients who take Adderall. According to the Disability Support Services website, students wishing to receive accommodation for not only ADHD, but for any of their services, must complete an application for services.
This application asks the student questions regarding their demographic background, information about their specific disability and questions about what types of services they wish to receive from Blair and her staff.
“[The application asks] how you have been diagnosed, how it affects you, and what the impact is, if you are on medication, does that change things.” Blair said.
Blair has been working at the Disability Support Services at K-State for 16 years and had been handling students with ADHD the entire time. She says ADHD has been an evolving condition on the K-State campus, which makes her position even more important.
For college students suffering from ADHD, daily activities of college can be challenging.
John Knutsen, a sophomore at Kansas State University, who has been prescribed Adderall to combat his condition, said he has noticed the benefits.
“One thing I did notice was my notes that I took in class were a lot more organized after that.” Knutsen said. “I don’t know why but it was definitely easier to remember what the teacher was saying and then put it into my own words and write it down and take notes.”
And that is exactly what Blair teaches her students.
“If anything I talk to them about remembering to take it.” She said. “I tell them to keep a few in their backpack for the middle of the day when they remember so they will actually have one, and it’s not at home.”
The Disability Support Service is located in room 202 in Holton Hall.
Housed inside this building is the Kansas State Disability Support Services.
While the hall is home to a service that assists several types of disabilities, nearly 125 students at K-State use this building as a haven, according to service director Andrea Blair, to discuss their troubles with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
To them, it’s a place for them to talk about their daily lives in school battling the effects of ADHD.
“The most consistent thing about all of them (the patients) are the inconsistencies.” Blair said. “But some similarities, what I hear, are students in a test get real distracted when people start getting up from their seats. They get very anxious that they are going to run out of time because everyone else is already done."
Blair personally assists students with their academic struggles related to ADHD, and she says she has seen an evolution of this disorder evolve within the college environment.
“It has definitely increased over time,” Blair said. “But I have had ADHD since I have been here.”
While the center is not an area for students to receive medical treatment for ADHD, it serves as a center for aide in their schoolwork.
“We don’t talk a lot about the medications,” Blair said. “We talk more about academic accommodations such a test-taking accommodations, time management, more class room accommodations.”
Blair also does not discuss the possible negative side effects of Adderall such as weight loss, dependency, depression and even sudden death, according to an article published by Dr. Vicent Iannelli on the Pediatrics webite of About.com
“They [doctors] are the ones actually prescribing the medications.” Blair said. “They are the ones that are going to need to have the conversations with them about the medications. I’m more about the grades and the classroom.”
In fact the Disability Service Support Service has strict guidelines when treating ADHD and patients who take Adderall. According to the Disability Support Services website, students wishing to receive accommodation for not only ADHD, but for any of their services, must complete an application for services.
This application asks the student questions regarding their demographic background, information about their specific disability and questions about what types of services they wish to receive from Blair and her staff.
“[The application asks] how you have been diagnosed, how it affects you, and what the impact is, if you are on medication, does that change things.” Blair said.
Blair has been working at the Disability Support Services at K-State for 16 years and had been handling students with ADHD the entire time. She says ADHD has been an evolving condition on the K-State campus, which makes her position even more important.
For college students suffering from ADHD, daily activities of college can be challenging.
John Knutsen, a sophomore at Kansas State University, who has been prescribed Adderall to combat his condition, said he has noticed the benefits.
“One thing I did notice was my notes that I took in class were a lot more organized after that.” Knutsen said. “I don’t know why but it was definitely easier to remember what the teacher was saying and then put it into my own words and write it down and take notes.”
And that is exactly what Blair teaches her students.
“If anything I talk to them about remembering to take it.” She said. “I tell them to keep a few in their backpack for the middle of the day when they remember so they will actually have one, and it’s not at home.”
The Disability Support Service is located in room 202 in Holton Hall.
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