On June 13th, 2024, the US Department of Justice announced a federal health care fraud indictment against a large subscription-based telehealth company that provides attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment to approximately 30,000-50,000 patients across the United States.
As per the US Department of Justice: “Ruthia He, the founder and CEO of Done Global Inc., was arrested in Los Angeles and David Brody, the clinical president of Done Health P.C., was arrested in San Rafael, California” for allegedly “developing and carrying out a $100 million scheme to defraud taxpayers and provide easy access to Adderall and other stimulants for no legitimate medical purpose.” As alleged in the indictment, “the defendants provided easy access to Adderall and other stimulants by exploiting telemedicine and spending millions on deceptive advertisements on social media. They generated over $100 million in revenue by arranging for the prescription of over 40 million pills.“
At the same time, the CDC issued the statement “Disrupted Access to Prescription Stimulant Medications Could Increase Risk of Injury and Overdose,“ which discusses the need for ongoing access to care and the potential disruption to as many as 30,000-50,000 patients ages 18 years and older across all 50 US states.
Within hours, the CDC hosted a meeting of the “ADHD Partners” to discuss these issues and the impact on the communities affected by ADHD. This meeting included Stephen Faraone from the World Federation for ADHD, CHADD leadership, the president of ADDA, ADHD coaches, other affiliated organizations, and me, from APSARD.
The overarching theme of this meeting was the need for holistic ADHD care, the pivotal role of APSARD and our affiliated ADHD organizations in decreasing stigma and improving equitable delivery of education and ADHD care.
I would like to share a resource which was just E-published in CNS Spectrums, ahead of print last week, which utilizes an “Expert Consensus Statement” on the strengths and limitations of telemedicine for ADHD management and care.
All in all, these updates highlight the pivotal role of APSARD as the leading voice for implementing ADHD science, education, and advocacy for individuals with ADHD.
Appreciatively,
Greg Mattingly MD
President, American Society for ADHD and Related Disorders
Supporting Links:
Disrupted Access to Prescription Stimulant Medications Could Increase Risk of Injury and Overdose
Expert Consensus Statement for Telepsychiatry and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder