HSE spent €2.5m last year on ADHD medication, figures reveal
Information provided by the HSE under the Freedom of Information Act show that in 2012, the HSE paid a total of €2,482,219 on five different types of medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
The drugs for those under 18 years were paid for under three separate schemes:
- €1.98m was paid under the GMS or General Medical Services scheme.
- €344,575 was paid under the DPS or Drugs Payment Scheme.
- €156,327 was paid under the LTI or Long Term Illness scheme.
The highest spend on a single drug was on Methylphenidate, often sold as Ritalin — €1.3m was paid out under GMS with almost €280,000 paid out between the other two schemes.
In contrast to the high spend on under-18s regarding ADHD medication, the amount the HSE spent on anti-depressants last year for the same age group was very low — just €285,297 out of a total €61.6m spend on anti-depressants.
The largest amount for anti-depressants for those under 18 was again made under the GMS, at €172,585.
The most common anti- depressant was Fluoxetine, also sold under trade names including Prozac, and Sertraline, typically used to control panic and anxiety disorders.
The single largest spend by the HSE last year on anti-depressants across all age groups was on Escitalopram, which is sold under various trade names, and which cost the HSE €18.8m.
The new figures come following the publication of a report by researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland which indicated that one-third of young people here are likely to have experienced some form of mental disorder by the age of 13.
Led by clinical research fellow Helen Coughlan, the study also indicated that the risk of experiencing a mental disorder increases in teenage and young adult years, and that one-in-15 young people had engaged in deliberate self-harm, while almost 20% of people under the age of 24 will have experienced suicidal thoughts.
It was also reported earlier this month that Dublin- based firm Shire is rolling out a new ADHD pill, Vyvanse, to eight more countries at a time when 90% of its sales are to the US.
