ADHD Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about ADHD, including details on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, drugs, treatment, symptoms.

The global market for ADHD medications.

Scheffler RM, Hinshaw SP, Modrek S, Levine P

Nicholas C. Petris Center on Health Care Markets and Consumer Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. rscheff@berkeley.edu

Little is known about the global use and cost of medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Global use of ADHD medications rose threefold from 1993 through 2003, whereas global spending (2.4 billion US dollars in 2003) rose ninefold, adjusting for inflation. Per capita gross domestic product (GDP) robustly predicted use across countries, but the United States, Canada, and Australia showed significantly higher-than-predicted use. Use and spending grew in both developed and developing countries, but spending growth was concentrated in developed countries, which adopted more costly, long-acting formulations. Promoting optimal prescription and monitoring should be a priority.

Published 6 March 2007 in Health Aff (Millwood), 26(2): 450-7.
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