Done Global, an online health care company where two top executives were arrested last week, issued a statement this week assuring patients that it was doing its best to continue operating despite the impact of the pandemic. federal indictment By the U.S. Department of Justice. The executives are accused of providing “easy access” to Adderall and other stimulant medications to treat ADHD and submitting “false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement.”
Done Global founder and CEO Ruthia He and Done Health clinical president David Brody were both arrested in California last week, according to a press release from the Ministry of Justice. But a spokesperson for the company told Gizmodo that the company doesn’t believe they did anything wrong.
“Done Global strongly disagrees with the criminal charges filed last week against our founders Ruthia He and Dr. David Brody, which are primarily based on events that occurred between February 2020 and January 2023,” a spokesperson said in a statement express.
These dates (early 2020 to early 2023) are significant because they coincide with a major push for telehealth services in the United States, which is battling the covid-19 pandemic that has killed more than 1.1 million Americans. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that the company took advantage of the shift to online treatment to prescribe drugs like Adderall to people who didn’t actually need them, a charge the company denies.
“Since its founding, Done Global has been committed to providing mental health care services to tens of thousands of Americans caught in the escalating national crisis,” a spokesperson for the company told Gizmodo.
Done Global emphasized that it will continue to operate and treat patients, but the company did not respond to two follow-up emails asking if there was any actual threat to its ability to operate normally.
“We will continue to support our clinicians to exercise independent clinical judgment, practice evidence-based medicine, and provide best-in-class health care,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement immediately following last week’s indictment, warning that, Increased risk of injury and overdose If Done Global is unable to prescribe medication.
“Patients who rely on prescription stimulant medications to treat ADHD and have been using this or other similar subscription-based telehealth platforms may experience interruptions in treatment and access to care,” the CDC said in an advisory posted online. Case. June 13.
The concern is that legitimate patients using Done Global—which may number 30,000 to 50,000 across all 50 states, according to the CDC—will turn to riskier treatment modalities, including black market or illegal drugs. The United States already faces a shortage of ADHD drugs, which are artificially manufactured due to DEA restrictions on the amount of stimulants sold in the country.
“Given the national overdose crisis and the threats associated with the illicit drug market, individuals who have difficulty obtaining prescription stimulant medications are urged to avoid using any prescription stimulant medications other than from licensed clinicians and licensed pharmacies,” the CDC said in its recommendations. medicines obtained from people.
Given the nature of the problem, this is easier said than done.
