ADHD drug use in U.S. rose among ages 20-44 -study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Use of attention deficit drugs rose
nearly 19 percent among ages 20 to 44 in 2005 while falling 5
percent in children under 10, according to statistics released
on Tuesday amid a U.S. review of the drugs’ safety.

An estimated 1.7 million U.S. adults aged 20 to 64 and
nearly 3.3 million children 19 and younger took a prescription
drug to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
in 2005, according to a report from pharmacy benefits manager
Medco Health Solutions Inc..

ADHD drugs include Novartis AG’s Ritalin and Focalin, Shire
Plc’s Adderall and Johnson & Johnson’s Concerta.

The biggest jump in use — a 19 percent rise from 2004 —
was among adults ages 20 to 44, the study said. The number of
those aged 10 to 19 who took the drugs rose by 2 percent.

Use fell 5 percent for children under 10. The findings were
based on prescription data from 2.5 million U.S. patients.

Critics say ADHD drugs are overprescribed, especially among
children. The safety of the medicines has faced growing
scrutiny in recent months.

In February, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel
called for a strong “black-box” warning on ADHD medicines,
saying they might increase the chances of cardiovascular
problems in some patients. The FDA says it does not yet know if
reports of sudden deaths, heart attacks and strokes are related
to the drugs.

On Wednesday, a different FDA advisory panel is set to
review data on a possible link between ADHD therapies and heart
problems, as well as psychiatric problems such as
hallucinations in children.

The FDA will consider the input from the panels before
deciding whether to update warnings on the drug labels.