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Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
In the good ole USofA there is 10m children now on the hyperactivity drug ritalin. Here is running close with 300,000 prescriptions last year. Structually and pharmacologically close to cocaine ritalin has similar dependency profile and may even be more potent. It takes about 1hr to raise dopamine levels in the brain. There are reports of teenagers ( and others) abusing ritalin by snorting and injecting it. This can bring on health issue's at a later date ie withdrawing problems, dependency and depression. In my view this drug should not be precribed to children in the first place as its all just Psycho babble by the childrens psychologists and the medical profession. Every time a precription for the drug Ritalin gets written, the manufactuer called Novartis see's their stock market value go up. (now you know the real reason why it gets prescribed.)
If any of you guys have any friends on this drug or just wants to learn more, for more information on this subject so to Hyperactive Childrens support Group @ 'hacsg.org.uk'
If any of you guys have any friends on this drug or just wants to learn more, for more information on this subject so to Hyperactive Childrens support Group @ 'hacsg.org.uk'
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Yes in the past the big drug companies had a tight control over the price of drugs but that just isnt the case anymore. The NHS has such huge buying power that they can force the drug producing companies to push their prices down, same as most EU countries and the far east.
There is also the issue that the patent for Ritalin has run out so producers can make generic copies, thus its no where near as lucrative for the original producer as it used to be.
I would also question how chemicaly similar to cocaine ritalin is, its an amphetamine like stimulant, could you post your sources for that information.
If the NHS and other health authorities around the world did not feel that Ritalin did its job then they wouldnt pay for it, as the NHS has proved with some cancer treatments. I fail to see what presure that the drug company could put upon them to buy it.
http://www.erowid.org/cgi-bin/chem_compare/chem_compare.cgi?LM=_ch_meth_ia_methamphetamine_2d.jpg&RM=_ph_methylphenidate_ia_methylphenidate_2d.gif
Heres a chemical comparison between cocaine and Ritalin, there are similar sections, but I would suggest that Ritalin is more an amphetamine than it is similar to cocaine.
http://www.erowid.org/cgi-bin/chem_compare/chem_compare.cgi?LM=_ch_cocaine_ia_cocaine_2d.gif&RM=_ph_methylphenidate_ia_methylphenidate_2d.gif
And as for Ritalin being more 'potent', in what context do you mean this, I would suspect that in active mg terms then Ritalin is a more potent drug but that doesnt really mean a great deal.
hmm
a drug company share value is more dependent on the time it takes to get a product from conception to on the market. if a product takes more than 9 years then share values drop - any quicker they rise.
Drug reps will try to influence a physicians prescribing but as a pharmacy would buy in bulk from either the drug company or a "wholesaler" any direct relation to stock market share value and individual prescribing is highly unlikely.
I am not condoning the business practice of drug companies. they have way to much power and money.
www.nofreelunch.org
certainly in psychiatry (where I work) doctors do not receive a direct reward or financial gain for prescribing drugs, certainly not one like Ritalin (i think the only time a doc get money for drugs is for vaccination and then that money comes from the gov not the drug companies). I think the real reason that most kids are prescribed Ritalin is because the doc wants to help the kid, the school and the parents and "Ritalin helps"
most drug using adults I have spoken to (and that includes those who would stick anything in a needle and into their arm)can't be bothered with Ritalin, its not worth it/the effort.