Coffee, energy drinks and energy shots are common caffeine aids among college students, but a new alternative has recently been introduced to the market.

Study Buddy, a new pharmacist-developed capsule, is now sold at three convenience stores on campus. The aid, which retails for $3.49, aims to improve memory, give hours of focused energy and minimize hangovers.

Study Buddy became available at the Titan Express in the Titan student book store, the Yum in the Titan Student Union and the Brief Shop in Langsdorf Hall early in the fall semester.

Kyle Breen, a kinesiology graduate student who works at Titan Shops, said that he has only seen two people buy Study Buddy so far and that he is not sure about the other employees.

"We've had more people buy the 5-Hour Energy Drink and they said that worked," said Yuki Ikezaki, 26, an early childhood and special education graduate student who works at The Yum.

While Study Buddy is new and hasn't had much exposure to students, its claims about its effectiveness are aimed at enticing college students.

"This is something I wish I would have had when I went to school," said Tyler Johansen, a University of Arizona alumnus and developer of Study Buddy.

Johansen, who takes Study Buddy every day before work, said, "During the week people get busy. If you went out the night before and you didn't feel 100 percent you could take it to study. This wasn't designed to cure hangovers, but it is supposed to help aid with the headache."

The aid contains all natural ingredients including gingko biloba to help improve blood flow to the brain and ginseng to help improve stamina and mental alertness while decreasing stress according to Brainiac Supplements, who manufactures Study Buddy.

Study Buddy is manufactured in a certified General Nutrition Center lab and is overseen by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA, however, has not examined Study Buddy's claims about their ingredients. No studies have yet been conducted about the effectiveness of Study Buddy either.

"It is way safer than the elicit use of ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) medicine. There is a big problem on campuses having ADHD medications without a prescription," Johansen said.

Amphetamines used to treat ADHD such as Ritalin and Adderall have also been increasingly popular among college students.

According to Monitoring the Future, which conducts national surveys on drug use, the annual prevalence of amphetamine use among college students was about 5.7 percent in 2008 and Ritalin use without a prescription was about 3.2 percent.

Assistant sociology professor, Carter Rakovski, who teaches about drug use in America said she could see how amphetamine use could be tempting.

"In America we have a stigma about drugs. When a drug is in pill form, it's more socially acceptable. We think if it's a prescription, there's nothing wrong," Rakovski said.

With the stress of exams, work, family and friends, Study Buddy's aim is to provide a new and improved option.

Study Buddy is now sold at 24 universities in Arizona, California, Colorado and Utah.