Article: More poor on ADHD drugs

A recent article in the Border Mail newspaper notes that there is a socio-economic element to prescription of drugs for adhd:

"POORER children are more likely to be prescribed drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder because they can’t access alternative treatments, the Australian Medical Association says.

Medicare figures show kids in lower socio-economic areas of NSW are up to 10 times more likely to be put on ADHD drugs than those in affluent areas.

Scrips for the two major ADHD drugs available on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme were issued at a rate of one for every 25 children under 14 in poor areas.

AMA vice-president and child psychiatrist Dr Choong-Siew Yong said the trend was likely to be true for Australia as a whole.

It was not surprising given that families in poorer areas generally presented with more problems than in affluent areas, Dr Yong said.

But he said it was also likely that poorer children were not accessing the non-medication treatments recommended before they’re prescribed ADHD drugs dexamphetamines and methylphenidate, marketed as Ritalin.

These alternatives include individual and family group counselling, behavioural management strategies, school support and treatment for other conditions like depression and anxiety."

Read more here ...

Source: The Border Mail, Australia, 14 June 2006