Regional Disparities in Prescription Methamphetamine and Amphetamine Distribution Across the United States.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional ecological analysis of administrative distribution data
PubMed 37288726 · doi:10.1177/10870547231177467
What was done
The study characterized regional and state-level differences in prescription methamphetamine and amphetamine distribution across the United States. Drug distribution data by weight were obtained from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for the calendar year 2019 and evaluated per capita and relative to national production quotas.
What was found
Total per capita drug weight distribution for amphetamine was 4,000 times higher than for methamphetamine. Regionally, total per capita methamphetamine distribution was highest in the West (32.2% of total distribution) and lowest in the Northeast (17.4%). Total per capita amphetamine distribution was highest in the South (37.0% of total distribution) and lowest in the Northeast (19.4%). Methamphetamine distribution reached 16.1% of its production quota, compared to 54.0% for amphetamine.
Why it matters
This study quantifies the extreme disparity between prescription amphetamine and methamphetamine use in the US, documenting distinct regional distribution patterns and demonstrating that prescription methamphetamine remains exceedingly rare.
Limits
The dataset consists of aggregated administrative supply data for a single year (2019) without individual patient-level data, sample size counts, clinical indications, demographics, or direct measurement of clinical outcomes. Reasons for regional variations (e.g., stigma or anti-methamphetamine initiatives) were not directly measured.
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