Prevalence of Methylphenidate Prescription Among School-Aged Children in a Swiss Population: Increase in the Number of Prescriptions in the Swiss Canton of Vaud,From 2002 to 2005,and Changes in Patient Demographics
Restricted accessOtherFirst published online November, 2010
Prevalence of Methylphenidate Prescription Among School-Aged Children in a Swiss Population: Increase in the Number of Prescriptions in the Swiss Canton of Vaud,From 2002 to 2005,and Changes in Patient Demographics
Objective: Methylphenidate is prescribed for children and adolescents to treat ADHD. As in many Western countries, the increase in methylphenidate consumption is a public concern in Switzerland. The article discusses the authors’ assessment of prescription prevalence in 2002 and 2005 for school-aged children in the canton of Vaud. Method: Pharmacy prescription information is available from the regional public health authority. Descriptive analyses are conducted on an anonymized database of the years 2002 and 2005. Data for each year are compared to assess trends in methylphenidate prescription prevalence. Results: The findings show an increase from 0.74% to 1.02% in the number of prescriptions for 5- to 14-year-old children, particularly in prescriptions for girls. Data also show important geographical differences in prescription. Conclusion: The prevalence of methylphenidate prescription is lower in Switzerland than other Western countries, particularly the United States. However, some aspects of prevalence are similar, including the increase per year, demographics, and geographic characteristics.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author .
2.
Asheim, H., Nilsen, K.B., Johansen, K., & Furu, K. ( 2007). Prescribing of stimulants for ADHD in Nordland County . Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen, 127, 2360-2362.
3.
Bussing, R., Schoenberg, N.E., Rogers, K.M., Zima, B.T., & Angus, S. ( 1998). Explanatory models of ADHD: Do they differ by ethnicity, child gender, or treatment status?Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 6, 233-242.
4.
Bussing, R., Zima, B.T., Perwien, A.R., Belin, T.R., & Widawski, M. ( 1998). Children in special education programs: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, use of services, and unmet needs. American Journal of Public Health, 88, 880-886.
5.
Castle, L., Aubert, R.E., Verbrugge, R.R., Khalid, M., & Epstein, R.S. ( 2007). Trends in medication treatment for ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 10, 335-342.
6.
Coghill, D. ( 2004). Use of stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: FOR. British Medical Journal, 329, 907-908.
7.
Cohen, P., & Hesselbart, C.S. (1993). Demographic factors in the use of children’s mental health services. American Journal of Public Health, 83, 49-52.
8.
Donker, G.A., Groenhof, F., & van der Veen, W.J. (2005). [Increasing trend in prescription of methylphenidate in general practices in the north-east of The Netherlands, 1998-2003]. Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde , 149, 1742-1747.
9.
Gibson, A.P., Bettinger, T.L., Patel, N.C., & Crismon, M.L. ( 2006). Atomoxetine versus stimulants for treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Annals of Pharmacotherapy , 40, 1134-1142.
10.
Hugtenburg, J.G., Heerdink, E.R., & Egberts, A.C. ( 2004). Increased psychotropic drug consumption by children in the Netherlands during 1995-2001 is caused by increased use of methylphenidate by boys. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 60, 377-379.
11.
Huissoud, T., Jeannin, A., & Dubois-Arber, F. (2007). Hyperactivité et prescription de Ritaline dans le canton de Vaud (Suisse), 2002 [Hyperactivity and prescription of Ritalin in the canton of Vaud (Switzerland), 2002]. Revue d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, 55, 357-363.
12.
Kochmann, F., Karila, L., & Tiravi, S. ( 2007). Place des psychostimulants chez l’enfant hyperactif . La Revue du Praticien, 52, 2022.
13.
Kupfer, D.J., Baltimore, R.S., Berry, D.A., Breslau, N., Ellinwood, E.H., Ferre, J., et al. (2000). National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement: Diagnosis and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 182-193.
14.
Lahey, B.B., Applegate, B., Barkley, R.A., Garfinkel, B., McBurnett, K., Kerdyk, L., et al. (1994). DSM-IV field trials for oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder in children and adolescents. American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 1163-1171.
15.
Marcovitch, H. ( 2004). Use of stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: AGAINST. British Medical Journal, 329, 908-909.
16.
Montandon, J.B., & Médioni, L. (2002). Evolution du nombre de prescriptions de Ritaline (méthylphénidate) dans le canton de Neuchâtel entre 1996 et 2000 [Trends in the number of Ritalin (methylphenidate) prescriptions in the canton of Neuchâtel from 1996 to 2000]. Bulletin de l’Office Fédéral de la Santé Publique , 15, 4-9.
17.
Olfson, M., Gameroff, M.J., Marcus, S.C., & Jensen, P.S. ( 2003). National trends in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 1071-1077.
18.
Pierrehumbert, B., Bader, M., Thevoz, S., Kinal, A., & Halfon, O. ( 2006). Hyperactivity and attention problems in a Swiss sample of school-aged children: Effects of school achievement, child gender, and informants. Journal of Attention Disorders, 10, 65-76.
19.
Rey, J.M., & Sawyer, M.G. ( 2003). Are psychostimulant drugs being used appropriately to treat child and adolescent disorders? British Journal of Psychiatry , 182, 284-286.
20.
Robison, L.M., Sclar, D.A., Skaer, T.L., & Galin, R.S. ( 1999). National trends in the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and the prescribing of methylphenidate among school-age children: 1990-1995. Clinical Pediatrics, 38, 209-217.
21.
Robison, L.M., Skaer, T.L., Sclar, D.A., & Galin, R.S. ( 2002). Is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder increasing among girls in the US? Trends in diagnosis and the prescribing of stimulants . CNS Drugs, 16, 129-137.
22.
Rushton, J.L., & Whitmire, J.T. (2001). Pediatric stimulant and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor prescription trends: 1992 to 1998. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 155, 560-565.
23.
Safer, D.J., Zito, J.M., & Fine, E.M. ( 1996). Increased methylphenidate usage for attention deficit disorder in the 1990s. Pediatrics, 98, 1084-1088.
24.
Schmidt-Troschke, S.O., Ostermann, T., Melcher, D., Schuster, R., Erben, C.M., & Matthiessen, P.F. (2004). The use of methylphenidate in children: analysis of prescription usage based in routine data of the statutory health insurance bodies concerning drug prescriptions. Bundesverband der Arzte des Offentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (Germany ), 66, 387-392.
25.
Schneider, H., & Eisenberg, D. ( 2006). Who receives a diagnosis of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder in the United States elementary school population? Pediatrics, 117, e601-e609.
26.
Schuler, M., & Joye, D. ( 1994). Les niveaux géographiques de la Suisse [The institutional structure of Switzerland]. Berne: Federal Statistical Office.
