Disagreements with implications: Diverging discourses on the ethics of non-medical use of methylphenidate for performance enhancement Forlini, Cynthia and Racine, Eric 2009, Disagreements with implications: Diverging discourses on the ethics of non-medical use of methylphenidate for performance enhancement, BMC Medical Ethics, vol. 10, no. 1, doi: 10.1186/1472-6939-10-9. Attached Files Name Description MIMEType Size Downloads Title Disagreements with implications: Diverging discourses on the ethics of non-medical use of methylphenidate for performance enhancement Author(s) Forlini, Cynthia orcid.org/0000-0003-3809-8229 Racine, Eric Journal name BMC Medical Ethics Volume number 10 Issue number 1 Publisher BioMed central Publication date 2009-08-20 ISSN 1472-6939 Keyword(s) Social Sciences Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Ethics Medical Ethics Social Sciences, Biomedical Social Sciences - Other Topics Biomedical Social Sciences PRESCRIPTION STIMULANTS STUDENT SAMPLE COGNITIVE FUNCTION COLLEGE-STUDENTS ENHANCING DRUGS WORKING-MEMORY YOUNG-ADULTS PRINT MEDIA HUMAN BRAIN ILLICIT USE Summary Background. There is substantial evidence that methylphenidate (MPH; Ritalin), is being used by healthy university students for non-medical motives such as the improvement of concentration, alertness, and academic performance. The scope and potential consequences of the non-medical use of MPH upon healthcare and society bring about many points of view. Methods. To gain insight into key ethical and social issues on the non-medical use of MPH, we examined discourses in the print media, bioethics literature, and public health literature. Results. Our study identified three diverging paradigms with varying perspectives on the nature of performance enhancement. The beneficial effects of MPH on normal cognition were generally portrayed enthusiastically in the print media and bioethics discourses but supported by scant information on associated risks. Overall, we found a variety of perspectives regarding ethical, legal and social issues related to the non-medical use of MPH for performance enhancement and its impact upon social practices and institutions. The exception to this was public health discourse which took a strong stance against the non-medical use of MPH typically viewed as a form of prescription abuse or misuse. Wide-ranging recommendations for prevention of further non-medical use of MPH included legislation and increased public education. Conclusion. Some positive portrayals of the non-medical use of MPH for performance enhancement in the print media and bioethics discourses could entice further uses. Medicine and society need to prepare for more prevalent non-medical uses of neuropharmaceuticals by fostering better informed public debates. © 2009 Forlini and Racine; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. DOI 10.1186/1472-6939-10-9 Indigenous content off Field of Research 2201 Applied Ethics HERDC Research category C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal Free to Read? Yes Persistent URL http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30125318 Document type: Journal Article Collections: Faculty of Health School of Medicine Open Access Collection Related Links Link Description Link to full-text (open access)     Unless expressly stated otherwise, the copyright for items in DRO is owned by the author, with all rights reserved. Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that permission has been obtained for items included in DRO. If you believe that your rights have been infringed by this repository, please contact drosupport@deakin.edu.au. Versions Version Filter Type Wed, 10 Jul 2019, 15:27:39 EST Wed, 10 Jul 2019, 15:29:42 EST Thu, 11 Jul 2019, 05:02:03 EST Thu, 11 Jul 2019, 06:04:20 EST Sat, 20 Jul 2019, 02:30:33 EST Tue, 06 Oct 2020, 10:56:11 EST Tue, 06 Oct 2020, 10:58:10 EST Filtered Full Citation counts:   Cited 39 times in TR Web of Science Cited 52 times in Scopus Search Google Scholar Access Statistics: 56 Abstract Views, 2 File Downloads  -  Detailed Statistics Created: Wed, 10 Jul 2019, 15:29:42 EST

Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that permission has been obtained for items included in DRO. If you believe that your rights have been infringed by this repository, please contact drosupport@deakin.edu.au.