Poor Kids on Rx Speed

Some physicians who want to help poor kids do well in school are prescribing the uppers (e.g., Adderall, Ritalin) normally given to kids diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A doctor says:

We’ve decided as a society that it’s too expensive to modify the kid’s environment. So we have to modify the kid. 

Because of the great leeway physicians are given to prescribe a drug for conditions other than those for which it is approved, doctors can not only get away with the practice, they can brag about it and get it paid for by Medicaid. See this New York Times article for details.