June 21, 2024

U.S. CDC: Disrupted Access to Prescription Stimulant Medications Could Increase Risk of Injury and Overdose

Please take a moment to review this health advisory about disrupted access to prescription stimulant medications related to a federal health care fraud indictment against a large telehealth company that provides ADHD treatment. This disruption could impact as many as 30,000 to 50,000 patients across the U.S. Patients with disrupted care or access to prescription stimulant medications are at increased risk for overdose if they obtain counterfeit pills that contain unexpected substances such as fentanyl.

If you become aware of someone in Maine in need of support as a result of this medication access disruption, OPTIONS is here to help. OPTIONS liaisons are available to connect individuals to support resources. For more information, please go to https://knowyouroptions.me/options-liaisons/.

There were at least 29,868 nonfatal drug overdoses in Maine from 2021-2023. These people survived because someone was there to identify the sights and sounds of an overdose and was able to respond and because Naloxone was available for individuals and for law enforcement and emergency medical personnel. Since 2019, Maine has made naloxone available to organizations and community members that wish to have it-on hand in case of an opioid overdose emergency or to distribute to individuals that use opioids as well as their loved ones. The Maine CDC emphasizes the importance of carrying naloxone due to the possible presence of fentanyl in counterfeit pills. For more information, visit https://knowyouroptions.me/get-naloxone/

Advisory (PDF)