Stimulant Dispensing to Children Decreased After Start of Pandemic, During Shortage

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Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Jan 28, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Jan. 27, 2025 -- Stimulant dispensing to children aged 5 to 17 years decreased after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and during a shortage of immediate-release mixed amphetamine salts in October 2022, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in Pediatrics.

Sijia He, from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and colleagues analyzed the 2017 to 2023 IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription Database, which captures 92 percent of U.S. prescriptions, to assess changes in prescription stimulant dispensing to children aged 5 to 17 years. The level and slope changes in the monthly stimulant dispensing rate were evaluated in March 2020 and October 2022.

The researchers found that the monthly stimulant dispensing rate to children changed by −454.9 children per 100,000 in March 2020, representing an 18.8 percent decrease relative to January 2017. This rate increased to 12.7 children per 100,000 per month after March 2020. No level change or slope change was seen in October 2022, although the estimates were negative (−39.7 children per 100,000 and −12.1 children per 100,000 per month, respectively). During October 2022, a level decrease was seen in the monthly dispensing rate for immediate-release mixed amphetamine salts, while a level increase was seen in the monthly dispensing rate for dexmethylphenidate.

“Our findings indirectly demonstrate how increased demand for a medication class in adults may adversely affect access to these treatments for children,” coauthor Kao-Ping Chua, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center in Ann Arbor, said in a press release. “It’s crucial to address the shortage of stimulant medications because so many kids rely on them. Untreated ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) symptoms can harm children’s health and learning.”

One author disclosed receipt of consulting fees from Greylock McKinnon Associates.

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Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2025-01-29 00:00

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