Is ‘shift work disorder' real, or just a sneaky way to sell a really dangerous drug?

Big Pharma puts the grave in graveyard shift

“Shift work disorder.”

That’s what the drug maker calls it. But let’s be honest: It’s no surprise that people that work at night or work rotating shifts might have a little trouble sleeping.

Still, Cephalon, which makes the drug called Nuvigil, says that it’s a way to support “those of you who stay awake for the rest of us.” You know, people who work the graveyard shift and need more than a cup of coffee to stay awake.

Turns out Cephalon has a best seller on its hands.

And it didn’t come from people like the “patients” shown on its website. The ones with “Shift Work Disorder” like Jenn, the “nurse,” Alex, the “bartender” or Sophia the “EMT.” (Nice of the bartender to “stay awake for the rest of us,” isn’t it?)

No…there is more going on here than prescribing a risky drug for policemen, nurses and truck drivers to take while on the job.

It looks like the drug maker found a sneaky way to sell billions of dollars’ worth of this very dangerous, mind-altering med. And guess who they are lining up to take it…

Apparently, it’s all those “off-label” uses of Nuvigil that are bringing in the billions. People who are taking it to feel “focused” and alert — all with no sleep required.

It’s even called it a “miracle” med. One that can keep you awake for days — working, studying, partying — all while feeling alert and productive.

Of course making a “deal with the devil” like that doesn’t come without some payback.

Because Nuvigil has some pretty nasty side effects. Things like “aggressive” behavior or “sensing things that are not really there.” Or “thoughts of suicide” and my favorite, “other mental problems.”

Now those side effects alone are frightening enough. But to think of all the people you may encounter on the road, or anywhere else for that matter who might have taken this drug — now that’s really scary.

But how did Cephalon manage to get so many hooked on this controlled substance? Are they all “shift workers”?

Not at all.

Since Nuvigil can make users feel “euphoric” and able to do things better than ever, all they need is to get people to try it…and they are hooked.

So the drug maker is giving it away for free.

It looks like Cephalon has a better gig going than the corner drug dealer. And all with the blessings of the FDA.

Just hit a few keys and you’re only “steps away from your first prescription FREE offer.” In fact, you don’t even have to answer any questions. Just download the page from its website to bring to your pharmacist for 30 free tablets!

That should be enough to get you feeling “euphoric” and having “alterations in mood” and how you’re thinking.

Of course you need an Rx to get Nuvigil. And Cephalon makes that easy too.

At its “patient resource center” you can find “discussion tools” where the drug maker will reveal exactly what you need to tell your doctor to get that prescription.

We’ve known about the problems with Nuvigil for several years…when a study published in JAMA found that the risk of addiction is much higher than originally thought.

The lead author of that study, Nora Volkow, said that no one has any idea how many people are using the drug off-label. There’s never been “a proper survey to actually document that.”

When that addiction study came out, Cephalon’s chief scientific officer wasn’t very happy.

He described the drug as being “a very serious medication for a serious medical disease.”

And he’s right. It certainly is a “serious” drug.

So the FDA should get serious about regulating it…or, better yet, removing it from the market. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want armed police officers, nurses medicating people, or firefighters running into burning buildings seeing things that aren’t there.

Sources:
“A warning on off-label use of sleep-disorder drug” Rita Rubin, USA Today, usatoday.com

“Nuvigil official website” nuvigil.com