Nursery World - Soaring prescriptions prompt Ritalin inquiry (1)

The number of children in Scotland prescribed the controversial drug Ritalin has increased tenfold over the past eight years, prompting an inquiry into the care and treatment provided for Scottish children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

The call came in a report published by NHS watchdog Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) last month, after it revealed that prescriptions for the behaviour-controlling drug rose from 69 per 10,000 children in 1996 to 603 per 10,000 children in 2003.

The findings in the 2004 health indicators report, A Focus on Children, also showed increasing regional variations in the prescribing rate for Ritalin.

Now NHS QIS will fund an audit of the care and treatment of children with ADHD and attempt to determine why some health authorities are prescribing higher amounts of the drug than others.

Dr David Steel, NHS QIS chief executive, said, 'The increase in the prescribing rate for ADHD drug methylphenidate (Ritalin) raises the important issue of what constitutes the appropriate level of prescribing in Scotland.

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