Yes

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by Arlene Miles

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Are stimulant medications for attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) over prescribed?

The question lays not so much in whether the drugs are over prescribed, but whether they are misprescribed, meaning that the possibility exists that not all treatment options are discussed. As far back as 1996, studies have pointed to the possibility that stimulants such as Ritalin have been prescribed inappropriately.

A statement published by the Drug Enforcement Agency during a conference on the stimulant use in the treatment of ADHD in San Antonio, TX that year noted the following:

"The DEA has become alarmed by the tremendous increase in the prescribing of these drugs in recent years. Since 1990, prescriptions for methylphenidate have increased by 500 percent, while prescriptions for amphetamine for the same purpose have increased 400 percent. Now we see a situation in which from seven to ten percent of the nation's boys are on these drugs at some point as well as a rising percentage of girls. When so many children are involved in the daily use of such a powerful psychoactive drugs, it is important for all of us to understand what is going on and why. The DEA has a responsibility to the nation to control such abusable legal drugs and to insure that their use is confined to legitimate medical need." http://www.add-adhd. org/ritalin.html

Left untreated, ADD and ADHD can be a nightmare for those afflicted with the disorder as well as their families. In a report on WebMD.com citing statistics from the Centers for Disease Control that noted approximately 5% of children aged 6-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD according to their parents. These diagnoses were twice as common in boys as in girls. The CDC also reported a 3% annual increase in childhood ADHD diagnoses from 1997 to 2006.

With such an increase in diagnoses, also comes a tendency to prescribe a quick fix for the problem, which generally means drug treatment. Close to 65% of diagnosed children take stimulant drugs as treatment, though many others without an official diagnosis may also use it, according to federal figures. http://www.webmd.com

Rather than immediately prescribing drugs to treat ADD or ADHD, a throrough evaluation should be initially to determine whether a child does, in fact, have the disorder, as well as what other treatment options may be applicable.

In his blog on WebMD in February 2006, Dr. Richard Sogn noted that parents should never go into a doctor's office with an allegedly inattentive or disruptive child and leave 15 minutes later with a stimulant prescription as some children who have difficult paying attention in class are struggling with anxiety, depression, or learning disabilities.

"A diagnosis of ADHD should never be made on the presence of symptoms alone," Sogn said. Although everyone is occasionally sad, most are not severely or clinically depressed requiring treatment with antidepressants. Inattention, distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and problems with planning, organization, time management, follow through and forgetfulness must be frequent and of such intensity and duration as to cause significant problems in multiple areas of life functioning for a diagnosis of ADHD."

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