Schedules of Controlled Substances: Exempt Anabolic Steroid Products
2020-08-19
DEA-2020-0018-0002
04:00:00
https://api.regulations.gov/v4/comments/DEA-2020-0018-0002
Anonymous
Anonymous
A proposed rule in congress currently is the Schedules of Controlled Substances: Exempt Anabolic Steroid Products, which discusses the proposal to take esterified estrogens and methyltestosterone out of the schedule III-controlled substances. In 1990, congress passed the Anabolic Steroids Control Act which defined anabolic steroids as any drug or hormonal substance that promotes muscle growth in a manner pharmacologically similar to testosterone, including specified substances (Congress.gov, n.d.). According to the Mayo Clinic, esterified estrogens and methyltestosterone combined tablets are used as hormonal replacement for menopausal women (Mayo Clinic, 2020). The Mayo Clinic (2020) states that this medication helps women who are experiencing symptoms such as hot flashes, dryness, and itching in the vagina. The proposal states that there are substances with similar active substances that were exempted from controlled substances. Furthermore, reporting documents did not find recent evidence that there is abuse of the substances esterified estrogen and methyltestosterone (DEA, 2020). The substances are avoided for those trying to gain muscle because of the estrogen components, which cause negative symptoms, such as retaining water. Therefore, those who are abusing steroids will most likely not use esterified estrogens and methyltestosterone. From the information provided by the DEA in the proposal, I agree that esterified estrogens and methyltestosterone should be exempt from the controlled substances schedule III. Providers should be aware of prescribing patients with it and the possibility of abuse. However, most likely, menopausal women are using the esterified estrogen and methyltestosterone 0.625/1.25 mg or 1.25/2.5mg tablets. Therefore, esterified estrogens and methyltestosterone should not be controlled substances. ReferencesCongress.gov. (n.d.). H.R.4658-Anabolic steroids control act of 1990. https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/house-bill/4658 DEA. (2020). Schedules of controlled substances: Exempt anabolic steroid products. https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DEA-2020-0018-0001 Mayo Clinic. (2020). Esterified estrogens and methyltestosterone (oral route). https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/esterified-estrogens-and-methyltestosterone-oral-route/description/drg-20073253 