Wake-up drug use causes concern: [1 All-round Country Edition]
Jonathan Leake, Sarah Baxter, John Stapleton. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 05 July 2004: 3.
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Abstract
Australian Medical Association vice-president Mukesh Haikerwal said the drug was available in Australia under the name Modavigil but was not widely prescribed by doctors here.
Now the same thing may happen in Britain. The Medicines and Healthcare products regulatory agency has quietly decided to loosen the restrictions on who can be prescribed Provigil.
Athletes have put the stimulant to less reputable uses to boost performance. US sprinter Kelli White, winner of the 100m and 200m at last year’s athletics world championships, will miss the Athens Olympics after testing positive for modafinil, the category of drug of which Provigil is a brand name.
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A PILL that can help users feel wide awake after long periods without sleep is being tipped as the latest lifestyle “wonder drug” to hit Britain.
A single tablet of Provigil is said to make users feel as though they have just had a pleasant nap, even if they have not slept for many hours or even a day or two.
Australian Medical Association vice-president Mukesh Haikerwal said the drug was available in Australia under the name Modavigil but was not widely prescribed by doctors here.
In 2002, the Australian Drugs Evaluation Committee recommended it be made available for those suffering from narcolepsy, a condition in which sufferers fall asleep at random.
“The information is clear but it’s not something we use very often,” Dr Haikerwal said.
When the pill was introduced in the US, it was credited with fuelling the rise of the “24-hour society” by helping truck drivers, students, night-clubbers and international travellers to stay awake all night.
Now the same thing may happen in Britain. The Medicines and Healthcare products regulatory agency has quietly decided to loosen the restrictions on who can be prescribed Provigil.
Until now, the drug has been given only to people with severe sleep disorders.
The change means the drug can now be prescribed to people suffering less serious problems such as shiftwork sleep disorder — a condition affecting some people who work erratic hours.
US users describe in enthusiastic terms how the pill has enabled them to stay awake without the jitteriness and anxiety brought about by taking large amounts of caffeine.
Athletes have put the stimulant to less reputable uses to boost performance. US sprinter Kelli White, winner of the 100m and 200m at last year’s athletics world championships, will miss the Athens Olympics after testing positive for modafinil, the category of drug of which Provigil is a brand name.
Experts were predicting the drug could undergo the Viagra phenomenon, in which its main use would be to enhance lifestyle rather than treat a medical condition.
Studies have shown that in the US about 75 per cent of people taking the pill do so for non-medical reasons, often to skip a few hours’ sleep or a night’s rest. It is popular with parents coping with young children, computer gamers and students facing exams.