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Letters to the EditorFull Access

Controlled Substances in the Polydrug Epidemic: Response to Diller

Published Online:1 Jan 2019https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.18080948r2

To the Editor: The current response to the crisis of opioid overdose deaths and addiction has focused attention not just in medicine, but broadly in the nation, on the primary role of prescribed opioids. Largely unrecognized is the role of other prescribed controlled substances in nonmedical drug use, addiction, and overdose deaths, particularly stimulants and benzodiazepines. Compton et al. (1) and Diller (2) usefully focus on underscoring the role of stimulants. The intertwining of legal and illegal drugs is seen in overdose data from the Florida Drug-Related Outcomes Surveillance and Tracking System (FROST) that show the polydrug nature of overdose deaths (3). Dr. Diller’s suggestion for physicians to refrain from prescribing immediate-release formulations of prescription stimulants to adults is an excellent example of rethinking the important role of medical practice in the growing drug crisis (4).

Institute for Behavior and Health, Rockville, Md. (DuPont); Center on Young Adult Health and Development, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park (Arria).
Send correspondence to Dr. DuPont ().

Supported by NIDA grant U01DA040219.

The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

References

1 Compton WM, Han B, Blanco C, et al.: Prevalence and correlates of prescription stimulant use, misuse, use disorders, and motivations for misuse among adults in the United States. Am J Psychiatry 2018; 175:741–755Link, Google Scholar

2 Diller L: Comment on prevalence and correlates of prescription stimulant use, misuse, use disorders, and motivations for misuse among adults in the United States. Am J Psychiatry 2019; 176:77Link, Google Scholar

3 DuPont RL: A new narrative to understand the opioid epidemic. J Glob Drug Policy Pract 2018; 12Google Scholar

4 Arria AM, DuPont RL: Prescription stimulant use and misuse: implications for responsible prescribing practices. Am J Psychiatry 2018; 175:707–708Link, Google Scholar