Number of Prescription of ADHD Drugs Increases Nine-Fold, Prompts Investigation

The number of drug prescriptions for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) increased almost nine-fold, the National Health Services (NHS) statistics revealed. The numbers of prescriptions for Ritalin increased nine-fold from 158,000 in 1999 to 661,463 in 2010.

This prompted the British Psychological Society (BPS) to investigate the matter fearing that cutting down of funds for  ADHD counseling might have led to an increase in medication prescriptions.

The report said that the use of Ritalin, a drug prescribed for ADHD patients, has increased and the medical experts are advising control and a reduction in the number of prescriptions handed out.

According to national guidelines for England and Wales, ADHD should be treated 'comprehensively' with psychological, behavioral and educational help. But, Vivian Hill, chair of the  BPS' medicalisation of childhood working group, said that this was not always the case and an inquiry should be done. "Often, the first response now is to issue drugs, not offer therapeutic help," she added further saying that an estimated "hundreds" of children below six years of age and some as young as three were being given drugs, which might have little impact without other therapy.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence spokesman said that drugs also played a role, but psychotherapy was important in ADHD. "These drugs are not recommended as first-line treatments for young people with mild or moderate ADHD. They are recommended as first-line therapy for school-age children and young people with severe ADHD," he said.

"I have had psychiatrists tell me that sometimes they don't feel that the child is sufficiently severe [enough] for requiring a drug treatment and they think psychological treatment might be sufficient. But the parents are quite keen they should have a drug. Parents know these drugs are cognitive enhancing, so I guess they're trying to get an advantage for the child," Barbara Sahakian, a professor of clinical neuropsychology at Cambridge University, told Daily Mail.