Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement for Work, School, and Play Implications for Life, Learning, and Practice
PATRICIA ANNE O’MALLEY PhD, RN, CNS

$7.95 		Clinical Nurse Specialist: The Journal for Advanced Nursing Practice
April 2013 
Volume 27  Number 2
Pages 67 - 70
 
  PDF Version Available!

ABSTRACT
My son, home from college on break, shared with me that use of prescription stimulants was common in the dorm he lives in to study and complete projects with a minimum number of hours of sleep. He told me the drugs were easy to obtain from friends and cheap and that use was "safe" because they were prescribed rather than street drugs. Of course I told him what he was doing was illegal! How common is this practice? Don't these students know the risk of stimulant abuse?Although alcohol abuse and binge drinking remain at the top of the substance abuse list, nonmedical use of prescription drugs-particularly stimulants-is a growing and scary problem. Prescription stimulants, perceived as safer than street sources (such as cocaine), are used to improve thinking, performance, and recreation.1 Stimulant use and diversion have appeared to significantly increase in academia for students and teachers, and for athletes, performers, middle and high school students, and older persons. Although the names of abused drugs have changed, the risks of use have not. Nontherapeutic use of prescription stimulants for cognitive enhancement can lead to addiction, dependence, cardiovascular events, and even psychosis for some.2Common cognitive-enhancing drugs (CEDs) are prescription stimulants that include methylphenidate (Ritalin), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), and mixed-salts amphetamine (Adderall)-agents typically prescribed for the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. The steep rise in the numbers of prescriptions suggests that there is significant nonmedical use of these drugs.3Table 1 describes the most common CEDs used for cognitive enhancement identified in the literature.In a 2001 sample of 10 904 randomly selected college students from 119 four-year colleges and universities in the United States, self-reports of nonmedical use of prescription stimulants revealed a lifetime prevalence of use of 6.9%.3 Nonmedical use was significantly higher among

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