Who is taking your child’s medication?

Stimulants such as methylphenidate (ritalin)and dextroamphetamine are often prescribed to children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In this issue of Canadian Medical Association Journal, Christiane Poulin reports on a study aimed at finding out how much of that medication is being redirected to others for nonmedical use. Dr. Poulin surveyed a randomly selected sample of 13 549 students in grades 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 in Atlantic Canada in 1998 and found that 8.5%of students reported nonmedical use of stimulants during that period. Of the 5.3% of students who reported medical use of stimulants in the same period, 14.7% said they had given some of their medication away and 7.3% had sold some. “Physicians and parents should keep track of stimulant medication, especially when several months’ supply is prescribed,” the authors warn.

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p.1039 Medical and nonmedical stimulant use among adolescents:from sanctioned to unsanctioned use — C.Poulin

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