A.D.H.D. Startup Executives Accused of $100 Million Fraud in Adderall Scheme

Tens of thousands of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder nationwide could face disruptions to their care after two executives of a major telehealth company that distributed A.D.H.D. drugs were indicted on charges of health care fraud.

The Department of Justice announced on Thursday that the chief executive and the clinical president of Done, the telehealth company, had been arrested and accused of participating in a scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants for A.D.H.D. to patients who did not need the medications, and to bill insurers for these drugs.

Done was one of several telehealth companies that became popular during pandemic lockdowns in 2020, when the government relaxed restrictions around online prescriptions for controlled substances such as Adderall. Those looser regulations meant that clinicians could prescribe medications virtually without first conducting an in-person evaluation. From 2020 to 2021, stimulant prescription fills rose by more than 10 percent among some age groups, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“These defendants exploited the Covid-19 pandemic to develop and carry out a $100 million scheme to defraud taxpayers and provide easy access to Adderall and other stimulants for no legitimate medical purpose,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a news release.

In a statement released Tuesday, Done said it would continue normal operations and would do “everything we can to ensure stable care for our patients.” The company said it “strongly disagreed” with the charges.

The charges come amid ongoing shortages of Adderall and another stimulant, Vyvanse. The C.D.C. said that as many as 50,000 patients across the nation who rely on Done or similar telehealth platforms to obtain stimulant medications may be affected.

“There are a lot of people who are going to be struggling without consistent medication,” said Margaret Sibley, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.