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.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_461F751CE184
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
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.
Journal
Journal of Attention Disorders
Author(s)
Gumy Cédric, Huissoud Thérèse, Dubois-Arber Françoise
ISSN
1557-1246[electronic], 1087-0547[linking]
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2010
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
14
Number
3
Pages
267-272
Language
english
Abstract
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.
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
24/11/2010 8:51
Last modification date
20/08/2019 13:51
Usage data