The US military's drug of choice for helping people stay awake while working long hours is finding its way into the 24/7 workplace, researchers warn.
Leading psychiatrists and drug experts in the US and Australia warn that people are turning to a narcolepsy prescription drug modafinil because it appears to result in fewer symptoms associated with other cognitive enhancing drugs. Close to 1.4 million scripts were filled last year in Australia for cognitive enhancing drugs including modafinil and ADHD medications. 
Professor of psychiatry Ian Hickie from the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre says amphetamine drugs have been increasingly used - and abused - in Australia. People working in law firms and the financial markets could afford to buy them and were often under pressure to stay awake for long hours. "They have a big downside," he said. "Generally, people can only do that for a short amount of time before their mood, behaviour and sleep-wake cycle becomes erratic. Modafinil keeps people awake with less chaotic effects."
While the drug is most commonly prescribed to help people with narcolepsy stay awake, the military, pilots and surgeons have also used them to help them stay alert while working long hours. That message has spread from the US military which has conducted research on the drug. But while the short-term effects have been tested by research, Professor Hickie says the consequences of longer-term use are unknown.
"It does raise a set of wider moral and ethical questions," he said.
"It is not a good way to go in a normal population. Trying to turn humans into 24-hour functioning machines is a bad strategy and it can lead to other health problems."
It would be far healthier to change pilots, surgeons and stop the billable hours practice.
In Australia last year, 644,371 scripts were filled out for Ritalin (methylphenidate) and 256,347 for another ADHD drug called dexamphetamine. Another 334,355 scripts were filled for dementia drug donepezil which is also used to enhance memory. And 13,934 scripts were filled for modafinil.
Professor Carl Hart from the departments of psychology and psychiatry at Columbia University told Fairfax Media the US military uses amphetamines and modafinil and amphetamines are used in baseball competitions. "The use of amphetamines, modafinil, Ritalin, and other stimulants are just extensions of caffeine use," he said.