Adults’ use of ADHD drugs rises
From Times wire reports
Use of attention deficit drugs rose nearly 19% among ages 20 to 44 in 2005 while falling 5% in children younger than 10, according to statistics released Tuesday amid a U.S. review of the drugs’ safety. The number of those ages 10 to 19 who took the drugs rose by 2%.
An estimated 1.7 million U.S. adults ages 20 to 64, and nearly 3.3 million people 19 and younger took a prescription drug to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, in 2005, according to a report from pharmacy benefits manager Medco Health Solutions Inc. The findings were based on prescription data from 2.5 million U.S. patients.