12-15-2022 4:54pm

DEA Serves Order to Show Cause on Truepill Pharmacy

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

On December 15, 2022, the DEA served an Order to Show Cause on Truepill, a retail pharmacy that is alleged to have wrongfully filled thousands of prescriptions for stimulants used in the treatment of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The true pill was the pharmacy for telehealth companies, including Cerebral, that marketed ADHD treatments, including Adderall ® and its generic forms, directly to consumers using Internet advertisements and social media. Cerebral arranged for patients to receive prescriptions for ADHD treatments through a telehealth visit, and for Truepill to fill those prescriptions.

According to reports, the “DEA will relentlessly pursue companies and pharmacies that seek to profit from unlawfully dispensing powerful and addictive controlled substances at the expense of the safety and health of the American people,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The men and women of the DEA remain committed to ensuring that every American can access essential medicines when they are lawfully prescribed and dispensed.”

According to the Order to Show Cause, between September 2020 and September 2022, Truepill filled more than 72,000 controlled substance prescriptions, 60 percent of which were for stimulants, including generic forms of Adderall®. In numerous instances, Truepill dispensed controlled substances pursuant to prescriptions that were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. An investigation into Truepill’s operations revealed that the pharmacy filled prescriptions that were: unlawful by exceeding the 90-day supply limits; and/or written by prescribers who did not possess the proper state licensing.

An Order to Show Cause is an administrative action to determine whether a DEA Certificate of Registration should be revoked. Until a determination is made, this action does not affect a registrant’s ability to handle or distribute a controlled substance.

This report was shared by the DEA and updated by Anita johnson-Brown