AIM: Our aim was to characterize utilization patterns for drugs used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on the level of the individual patient among Danish users, focusing on treatment duration, doses used, and concurrent use of ADHD and non-ADHD drugs. METHODS: Using the Danish Registry of Medicinal Product Statistics, we extracted data on 1,085,099 prescriptions for ADHD drugs issued to a total of 54,024 persons in the study period 1 January 1995 to 30 September 2011. For users in the final year of the study period, we further extracted 315,365 prescriptions for non-ADHD drugs. Drug utilization was characterized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The mean duration of ADHD treatment was highest (3.6-4.2 years) for patients initiating therapy at a young age (age<13). Dropout rate after receiving only one prescription was highest among off-label users (age<6 and age >17). All age categories showed an increase in the average daily dosage of methylphenidate used from 2003 to 2010. Concomitant treatment with methylphenidate and atomoxetine was rare, as only 2 % of methylphenidate treatment overlapped with atomoxetine treatment. Nineteen percent of methylphenidate instant-release treatment overlapped with methylphenidate controlled-release treatment. Users of ADHD drugs across all age categories had an increased use of drugs related to the nervous system, especially antipsychotics [standardized morbidity rate (SMR), 6.4-19.5] and antiepileptics (SMR, 4.0-5.5). CONCLUSION: We found certain traits that warrant further investigation: the apparent increase in average daily doses, the low adherence to treatment among off-label users, and the increased use of other psychotropic medication.
AIM: Our aim was to characterize utilization patterns for drugs used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on the level of the individual patient among Danish users, focusing on treatment duration, doses used, and concurrent use of ADHD and non-ADHD drugs. METHODS: Using the Danish Registry of Medicinal Product Statistics, we extracted data on 1,085,099 prescriptions for ADHD drugs issued to a total of 54,024 persons in the study period 1 January 1995 to 30 September 2011. For users in the final year of the study period, we further extracted 315,365 prescriptions for non-ADHD drugs. Drug utilization was characterized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The mean duration of ADHD treatment was highest (3.6-4.2 years) for patients initiating therapy at a young age (age<13). Dropout rate after receiving only one prescription was highest among off-label users (age<6 and age >17). All age categories showed an increase in the average daily dosage of methylphenidate used from 2003 to 2010. Concomitant treatment with methylphenidate and atomoxetine was rare, as only 2 % of methylphenidate treatment overlapped with atomoxetine treatment. Nineteen percent of methylphenidate instant-release treatment overlapped with methylphenidate controlled-release treatment. Users of ADHD drugs across all age categories had an increased use of drugs related to the nervous system, especially antipsychotics [standardized morbidity rate (SMR), 6.4-19.5] and antiepileptics (SMR, 4.0-5.5). CONCLUSION: We found certain traits that warrant further investigation: the apparent increase in average daily doses, the low adherence to treatment among off-label users, and the increased use of other psychotropic medication.
Authors: Øystein Karlstad; Per Nafstad; Aage Tverdal; Svetlana Skurtveit; Kari Furu Journal: Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf Date: 2011-09-23 Impact factor: 2.890
Authors: J Graham; T Banaschewski; J Buitelaar; D Coghill; M Danckaerts; R W Dittmann; M Döpfner; R Hamilton; C Hollis; M Holtmann; M Hulpke-Wette; M Lecendreux; E Rosenthal; A Rothenberger; P Santosh; J Sergeant; E Simonoff; E Sonuga-Barke; I C K Wong; A Zuddas; H-C Steinhausen; E Taylor Journal: Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2010-11-03 Impact factor: 4.785
Authors: Silviu Grisaru; Melissa Yue; Susan M Samuel; Kathleen H Chaput; Lorraine A Hamiwka Journal: Paediatr Child Health Date: 2018-03-05 Impact factor: 2.253