The number of so-called smart drugs seized by regulators rose in Scotland last year amid concerns stressed students are risking their health to improve their grades.

Thousands of pills were impounded by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) after officers found the drugs at border points in the UK.

Details of where they were seized have not been provided, but they are known to have either been discovered in Scotland or were intended to be transported here.

Many of the drugs were developed to treat cognitive dysfunction in disorders such as ADHD and Alzheimer’s, but are being used instead by healthy individuals in the belief they will improve their attention span, memory and motivation.

The most common smart drug seized was modafinil, which is meant to be used to treat narcolepsy – a brain disorder that causes a person to suddenly fall asleep at inappropriate times.

In the last financial year, covering the period up to March 31, the MHRA said it seized 1,200 doses of the drug. This was up on the 500 doses seized the year before and higher than the 1,020 in 2023/24.

MHRA officers also seized 1,000 doses of cognitive disorder drug piracetam, which, like modafinil, is a prescription-only medicine. This was up on the 360 doses the previous year.

While it is not illegal to buy the drugs, it is against the law to supply or sell them to others without a valid prescription.

Barbara Sahakian, professor of clinical neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge, said peer pressure may play a part in driving up their use in ‘competitive contexts’.

Professor Sahakian said: ‘When I spoke on the topic of cognitive enhancing drugs at St Andrews University some years ago, a student came up afterwards and told me that she did not want to use smart drugs, but felt that she might fall behind in exams if she did not.

‘She said – and I have also heard when I have spoken at universities – that they can see students passing smart drugs to other students in the library before exams start.’

A study into the availability of smart drugs in 2018 found they were ‘widely available to purchase via the internet from the UK without a prescription’. 

This method of supply is hugely concerning as many drugs purchased over the internet do not come from registered pharmaceutical companies.

Professor Sahakian said: ‘Students are often buying these drugs over the internet and so they do not know that they are getting what they have purchased or some other drug or mixture of drugs.’

She added: ‘We do not know what the effect of using these prescription-only medications are in healthy adolescents and young adults, so that is also a concern as to whether these smart drugs may be negatively affecting normal brain development.

‘There are no chronic studies of these smart drugs in healthy people, so we do not know if they are safe and effective when used long-term.’

Andy Morling, MHRA deputy director, enforcement, said: ‘Modafinil and piracetam were identified and seized at the border before they could reach importers, as they are not approved for importation or supply in the UK.

‘The importers were reminded of their obligations to ensure compliance with medicines regulations.’