Marked increase shown in adult ADHD drug treatment

Some view the trend as indicating greater awareness of ADHD in this age group, but others also see the need for more long-term efficacy data.

By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. Oct. 10, 2005.

Oren Mason, MD, a family physician in Grand Rapids, Mich., had always struggled to focus and to get things done. But it was only when his son was diagnosed five years ago with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder that he had an "ah-ha" moment.

"[My son] was hyperactive, and it was rather obvious," he said. "I couldn't remember what the kids needed, and I had a problem with complicated paperwork. My wife said let's get this checked out, and I was diagnosed as having the inattentive form [of ADHD]." As a result, Dr. Mason, whose practice now focuses on care for those with this disorder, is among the growing ranks of adults who are being diagnosed with a condition long associated with children.

Medco Health Solutions Inc., a Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based pharmaceutical benefit manager with 2.4 million members, released in September a detailed analysis of prescriptions for drugs to treat ADHD. Among the report's findings was a significant uptick in those for children. However, this increase was far outpaced by the growth in prescriptions for adults.

"This analysis clearly shows that ADHD is no longer just about children," said Robert Epstein, MD, Medco's chief medical officer.

The data were not published in a scientific journal, and the company did not delve into why these numbers are increasing. Most experts believe, though, that this trend can be accounted for by the Food and Drug Administration's approval of and the resulting direct-to-consumer advertising campaigns for several drugs to treat adult ADHD. These factors in turn translated into a new level of awareness among those older than 18 who may have the condition, which many experts believe has a significant genetic component.