Patients compliant with prescribed amphetamine (AMPH) should not have detectable methamphetamine (METH) in their urine; detectable METH typically indicates illicit use. However, we have identified patients with results suggestive of METH as an impurity in prescribed AMPH.

In dosages prescribed for medical indications, some evidence indicates that amphetamine does not affect nursing infants adversely. The effect of amphetamine in milk on the neurological development of the infant has not been well studied. Large dosages of amphetamine might interfere with milk production, especially in women whose lactation is not well established. Breastfeeding is generally discouraged in mothers who are actively abusing amphetamines.[1-3] One expert recommends that amphetamine not be used therapeutically in nursing mothers.[4]

This case report reviews the psychiatric difficulties of a 27-year-old female patient from Botswana with symptoms fitting for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cluster B personality traits, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Her case illustrates how corporal punishment, an accepted practice in Botswana, remains in stark contrast to the standards of American society and the psychological consequences that may emerge from such practices. The patient presented with mood instability, anxiety, and recurrent depressive episodes, which were worsened by poor coping mechanisms including binge drinking and emotional dissociation. The patient's interviews confirmed the presence of PTSD, ADHD, and personality disorder per diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5. She was treated with lamotrigine and Adderall XR, with trauma-informed group therapy and psychoeducation about cultural perceptions of abuse. The patient showed improvement in emotional regulation and investment in the treatment; however, she continued to have difficulties with sleep hygiene and alcohol consumption. This case underlines the importance of culturally sensitive psychiatric care and emphasizes that osteopathic practitioners should further work within the framework of the trauma-informed approach with consideration of cultural influence when managing patients, especially those of migrant backgrounds.

A 4-year-old, female-spayed, mixed breed dog, weighing 24.2 kg, was presented for acute ingestion of ~12.3 mg/kg of Adderall XRⓇ, an extended-release amphetamine medication. In dogs, the oral median lethal dose for amphetamines ranges anywhere from 9-11 mg/kg to 20-27 mg/kg. On presentation, the patient was agitated, tachycardic and hypertensive. Initial treatment was instituted with intravenous lipid emulsion (IVLE) therapy, and baseline and post-treatment amphetamine concentrations were quantified in serum and plasma. In both serum and plasma, post-IVLE concentrations of amphetamine were lower 1 h after treatment and IVLE was the only treatment instituted during this time. The dog improved significantly while in hospital and was discharged <24 h after presentation. This is the first known reported use of IVLE for treatment of amphetamine toxicosis with documented decreases in both serum and plasma amphetamine levels shortly after administration of IVLE.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics of a new extended-release amphetamine oral suspension (AMP XR-OS) with a standard extended-release mixed amphetamine salts product, Adderall XR®. Method: In this single-dose, open-label, randomized, two-period, two-treatment crossover study, 42 healthy adult volunteers received 15 mL of AMP XR-OS in one period and a 30 mg Adderall XR capsule in another period (both containing 18.8 mg of amphetamine base) under fasted conditions. Blood samples were analyzed for d- and l-amphetamine concentrations, and pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax, AUC0-5, AUC5-last, and AUCinf were calculated to determine bioequivalence. Safety was monitored throughout the study. Results: The 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for the log-transformed Cmax, AUC0-5, AUC5-last, and AUCinf fell within the accepted 80% to 125% range for establishing bioequivalence for d- and l-amphetamine. The most common adverse events were nausea and decreased appetite. Conclusion: AMP XR-OS is bioequivalent to Adderall XR in healthy adult participants.

The pediatric clinics of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MSU-CHM) consist of academic pediatricians serving two clinics with a patient population of 5200. The internal quality measures published by the MSU health team had consistently indicated our generic medications prescription rate to be very low, with an average of about 21% for the years 2009, 2010, and 2011. There was an earnest need to increase our generic medication prescription rates, which is considered an indicator of good practice. The stakeholders identified were physicians, nurses, care managers, and the health information technology (HIT) team. The purpose of the project was to increase the prescribing rate of viable low cost and approved generic medications for the patients of the MSU-CHM general pediatric clinics. The stakeholders regularly met every few months to work on increasing the generic medication prescription rates based on the PDSA cycle. Help was sought from HIT to identify and acquire the top 10 brand names the group was prescribing along with individual provider data. The team reviewed the brand names most prescribed, and made a recommendation that the best group to target were the stimulant medications, allergy and asthma medications, and other psychotropics. The HIT team was then requested to add the available generics for all stimulant medications, asthma medications, and others in the electronic medical record (EMR). They were also clearly marked for ease of use, for example: amphetamine-dextroamphetamine extended release "generic for Adderall XR." It was decided that providers would prescribe all stimulants as a generic, unless not available, and nurses would change each brand name of stimulants to a generic every time they refilled a medicine, based on a protocol outlining the appropriate generic medications corresponding to the respective brand names. The physicians and nurses were also urged to discuss with the patients the substitution process and answer any questions from parents. Monthly reports were obtained from the HIT about our progress. After 12 months of implementing this project, the overall generic prescription rate increased from 20% at the end of first quarter 2012 to 53% at the end of 12 months, and 65.5% at the end of two years. This was well above the MSU health team (about six large group practices) primary care average of 34.6%. All brand name medication prescription rates were also decreased. This is a positive outcome for this project in a relatively short period of time, and a further plan will be to repeat the cycle and continue to improve on the generic prescription rate, thereby saving valuable dollars spent on health care.