3.6 Million Patients Treated in 1997
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The following was issued
yesterday, Sept. 10, by IMS HEALTH:
An IMS HEALTH (NYSE: RX) analysis of the U.S. trend in prescription drugs
dispensed for treating attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) reveals that it parallels the school year
period, with a sharp rise August to September, steadily increasing until June,
at which time the summer drop begins. The five-year dosing trend is
consistent with treatment guidelines indicating that young patients with mild
symptoms may only require medication during the school year. IMS HEALTH is
the world's leading provider of information solutions to pharmaceutical and
healthcare industries.
The total prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. for the ADD/ADHD class of
drugs, analeptics, during the September to June school-year period for the
past five years has increased steadily. For the September 1997 to June 1998
period, the total was 13.9 million prescriptions dispensed, up 81.2 percent
from the 7.7 million total dispensed September 1993 to June 1994.
The number of ADD/ADHD patient visits to office-based physicians in the
U.S., where a diagnosis is made, grew 11.5 percent during the 1995 to 1997
time period, from 7.8 million in 1995 to 8.7 million in 1997.
Treatment Drops 29 Percent During Non-School Period
During the off school-year period, June and July, the average monthly
prescriptions dispensed for ADD/ADHD are 29 percent lower than the monthly
figure toward the end of the school year. For the 1997 to 1998 school year,
the monthly average figure of 1.5 million prescriptions dispensed for March
through May dropped to a monthly average of 1.1 million for June and July.
IMS HEALTH predicts that the monthly average for total prescriptions
dispensed during the early months of the 1998 to 1999 school year will
increase 42 percent over the June to July average.
Ritalin the Leading Therapy; Adolescents the Dominant Patient Group
The most commonly prescribed medication for treating the disorders is
Ritalin, comprising 69 percent of the U.S. market for the dispensed
prescriptions of analeptic class drugs. Others, including Adderall, Cylert
and Dexedrine, comprise the balance of 31 percent of the total prescriptions
dispensed. The total prescriptions dispensed for Ritalin, which includes
Ritalin, Ritalin SR and Methylphenidate HC, grew 260 percent from 1992 to
1997.
Elementary school-aged children, 6 to 12 years old, are the dominant
patient group being treated for ADD or ADHD. More than 56 percent of the
patient visits to office-based physicians, in which a diagnosis is made, come
from this age group. High school-aged adolescents, 13 to 17 years old,
account for 21 percent of the patient visits.
Males are the dominant patient group for Ritalin usage within both age
cohorts -- 6 to 12 and 13 to 17 years old. They account for 79 percent of the
total prescriptions dispensed for children ages 6 to 12 and 83 percent for
adolescents ages 13 to 17.
ADD/ADHD Not Easy to Diagnose
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD) are classified by symptoms of inattentiveness, such as failure
to pay close attention to details, poor listening skills, failure to follow
instructions, and difficulties organizing tasks. Impulsive symptoms, such as
hand fidgeting, excessive talking, and limited patience also may be apparent.
Most individuals display these behaviors occasionally.
To assist in the proper diagnosis of the disorders, guidelines have been
developed by the National Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), a
consumer advocacy organization in St. Louis, Missouri. The following criteria
assist with diagnosis:
-- Some hyperactive-impulsive or inattentive symptoms that cause
impairment need to be present before the patient was seven years old.
-- The symptoms must cause some impairment in two or more settings, such
as home, school or work.
-- There must be clear evidence of clinically significant impairment in
social, academic or occupational functioning.
-- The symptoms do not occur exclusively during the course of a pervasive
developmental disorder, schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorder and
are not better accounted for by another mental disorder.
IMS HEALTH
IMS HEALTH is the world's leading provider of information solutions to the
pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. With more than $1 billion in 1997
revenue, IMS HEALTH operates in over 90 countries. IMS HEALTH is the largest
pharmaceutical manufacturer information partner, with over 40 years'
experience in the industry. Key products and services integral to customer
day-to-day operations include: market research for prescription and over-the-
counter pharmaceutical products; sales management information to optimize
sales force productivity; technology enabled selling solutions for sales and
marketing decision-making; and technology systems and information services
that support managed care organizations.
Additional information and previous releases are available at IMS HEALTH's
web site: http://www.imshealth.com.
SOURCE IMS HEALTH
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Related links:
http://www.imshealth.com
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com or
fax, 800-758-5804, ext. 115785
CONTACT:
Gary Friend, 610-834-5654, or Nancy Duckwitz,
610-834-5338, both of IMS HEALTH
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