September 26, 2006 -- SAMHSA Cites ADHD Medication Misuse

Almost 8,000 visits to hospital emergency rooms in 2004 involved misuse of two drugs widely prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to data compiled by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In its latest Drug Abuse Warning Network release, SAMHSA notes that emergency room visits involved methyphenidate (marketed as Ritalin or Concerta) or amphetamine-dextroamphetamine (marketed as Adderal), with a third of patients having ingested ADHD medication alone and two-thirds having used it in combination with other drugs, including alcohol, illicit drugs, and other pharmaceuticals. SAMHSA notes that many emergency room visits for non-medical use of ADHD involved persons 12 to 17 years of age, but misuse of ADHD drugs also has increased in persons 18 to 24 years of age, largely because college students are believed to use the drugs for their stimulant properties as study aids. While the proportion of young people in both age groups who misuse ADHD drugs is relatively low, SAMHSA cautions that the Food and Drug Administration has called for label warnings on ADHD medications warning of increased potential for cardiac problems such as hypertension, cardiac arrest, and stroke, with the possibility of medical problems exacerbated when ADHD medication is used improperly or in combination with other drugs.