In the U.S. military, go pills and no-go pills refers to stimulant medications meant to increase wakefulness and hypnotic medications taken to ensure adequate rest in preparation for upcoming tasks.
No-go pill
As of November 2012, medications approved as no-go pills by the U.S. Air Force for aircrew and
AFSOC[ Air Force Special Operations Command Instruction 48-101 , U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command, November 30, 2012.] forces include:
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Temazepam (Restoril), with a 12-hour restriction on subsequent flight operation
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Zaleplon (Sonata), with a 4-hour restriction on subsequent flight operation
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Zolpidem (Ambien), with a 6-hour restriction on subsequent flight operation
Go pill
In contrast to the sleeping agents, a go pill refers to a wakefulness-promoting agent used for fatigue management, especially in a military combat-readiness context; this is contrasted with a no-go pill, which is used to promote sleep in support of combat operations. A go pill generally contains one of the following
:
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Amphetamine (methamphetamine having been used historically, such as during the Second World War), which is a strong psychostimulant drug; no longer approved officially for use by the U.S. Air Force,
[ Air Force Special Operations Command Instruction 48–101 (sects. 1.7.4), U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command, November 30, 2012.] possibly due to safety concerns brought up in the wake of incidents like the Tarnak Farm incident.
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Modafinil, a wakefulness-promoting drug (or eugeroic)
