Trends in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder medication use: a retrospective observational study using population-based databases

Sudha R Raman; Kenneth K C Man; Shahram Bahmanyar; Anick Berard; Scott Bilder; Takoua Boukhris; Greta Bushnell; Stephen Crystal; Kari Furu; Yea-Huei KaoYang; Øystein Karlstad; Helle Kieler; Kiyoshi Kubota; Edward Chia-Cheng Lai; Jaana E Martikainen; Géric Maura; Nicholas Moore; Dolores Montero; Hidefumi Nakamura; Anke Neumann; Virginia Pate; Anton Pottegård; Nicole L Pratt; Elizabeth E Roughead; Diego Macias Saint-Gerons; Til Stürmer; Chien-Chou Su; Helga Zoega; Miriam C J M Sturkenbroom; Esther W Chan; David Coghill; Patrick Ip; Ian C K Wong

doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30293-1

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Trends in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder medication use: a retrospective observational study using population-based databases

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Trends in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder medication use: a retrospective observational study using population-based databases

Sudha R Raman, Kenneth K C Man, Shahram Bahmanyar, Anick Berard, Scott Bilder, Takoua Boukhris, Greta Bushnell, Stephen Crystal, Kari Furu, Yea-Huei KaoYang, …

The Lancet. Psychiatry, Vol.5(10), pp.824-835

10/2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30293-1

PMID: 30220514

Abstract

Adolescent

Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use

Adult

Asia - epidemiology

Atomoxetine Hydrochloride - therapeutic use

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - drug therapy

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - epidemiology

Australia - epidemiology

Central Nervous System Stimulants - therapeutic use

Child

Child, Preschool

Europe - epidemiology

Female

Humans

Male

Methylphenidate - therapeutic use

Middle Aged

Practice Patterns, Physicians' - trends

Prevalence

Retrospective Studies

United States - epidemiology

Young Adult

The use of medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased, but the prevalence of ADHD medication use across different world regions is not known. Our objective was to determine regional and national prevalences of ADHD medication use in children and adults, with a specific focus on time trends in ADHD medication prevalence. We did a retrospective, observational study using population-based databases from 13 countries and one Special Administrative Region (SAR): four in Asia and Australia, two in North America, five in northern Europe, and three in western Europe. We used a common protocol approach to define study populations and parameters similarly across countries and the SAR. Study populations consisted of all individuals aged 3 years or older between Jan 1, 2001, and Dec 31, 2015 (dependent on data availability). We estimated annual prevalence of ADHD medication use with 95% CI during the study period, by country and region and stratified by age and sex. We reported annual absolute and relative percentage changes to describe time trends. 154·5 million individuals were included in the study. ADHD medication use prevalence in 2010 (in children aged 3-18 years) varied between 0·27% and 6·69% in the countries and SAR assessed (0·95% in Asia and Australia, 4·48% in North America, 1·95% in northern Europe, and 0·70% in western Europe). The prevalence of ADHD medication use among children increased over time in all countries and regions, and the absolute increase per year ranged from 0·02% to 0·26%. Among adults aged 19 years or older, the prevalence of any ADHD medication use in 2010 varied between 0·003% and 1·48% (0·05% in Asia and Australia, 1·42% in North America, 0·47% in northern Europe, and 0·03% in western Europe). The absolute increase in ADHD medication use prevalence per year ranged from 0·0006% to 0·12%. Methylphenidate was the most commonly used ADHD medication in most countries. Using a common protocol and data from 13 countries and one SAR, these results show increases over time but large variations in ADHD medication use in multiple regions. The recommendations of evidence-based guidelines need to be followed consistently in clinical practice. Further research is warranted to describe the safety and effectiveness of ADHD medication in the short and long term, and to inform evidence-based guidelines, particularly in adults. None.

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Title: Trends in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder medication use: a retrospective observational study using population-based databases
Creators: Sudha R Raman - Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
Kenneth K C Man - Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Research Department of Policy and Practice, University College London School of Pharmacy, London, UK; Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Faculty of Social Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Shahram Bahmanyar - Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
Anick Berard - Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, and CHU Ste-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Scott Bilder - Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Takoua Boukhris - Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, and CHU Ste-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Greta Bushnell - Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Stephen Crystal - Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Kari Furu - Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
Yea-Huei KaoYang - School of Pharmacy and Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
Øystein Karlstad - Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
Helle Kieler - Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Kiyoshi Kubota - Drug Safety Research Unit, Tokyo, Japan
Edward Chia-Cheng Lai - School of Pharmacy and Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Pharmacy, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
Jaana E Martikainen - Research Unit, Social Insurance Institution, Helsinki, Finland
Géric Maura - Department of Studies in Public Health, French National Health Insurance, Paris, France
Nicholas Moore - Bordeaux PharmacoEpi, INSERM CIC1401, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
Dolores Montero - Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices, Madrid, Spain
Hidefumi Nakamura - Clinical Research Center, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
Anke Neumann - Department of Studies in Public Health, French National Health Insurance, Paris, France
Virginia Pate - Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Anton Pottegård - Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
Nicole L Pratt - Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Elizabeth E Roughead - Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Diego Macias Saint-Gerons - Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices, Madrid, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Valencia, Spain
Til Stürmer - Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Chien-Chou Su - School of Pharmacy and Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
Helga Zoega - Centre of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland; Medicines Policy Research Unit, Centre for Big Data Research in Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Miriam C J M Sturkenbroom - Julius Global Health, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
Esther W Chan - Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
David Coghill - Departments of Paediatrics and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Patrick Ip - Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: patricip@hku.hk
Ian C K Wong - Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Research Department of Policy and Practice, University College London School of Pharmacy, London, UK. Electronic address: wongick@hku.hk
Publication Details: The Lancet. Psychiatry, Vol.5(10), pp.824-835
Date published: 10/2018
Academic Unit: Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article
Identifiers: 991031664336504646