Trends in office-based treatment of adults with stimulants in the United States

Source: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry Area: Evidence > Medicines Management > References Objective: The authors investigated trends and patterns in stimulant treatment of adults visiting office-based medical practices in the United States. Method: A time series analysis of data from the 1994 to 2009 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (no of visits = 372,702) was performed, focusing on adult (aged 18 years or older) visits in which stimulant medications (amphetamine salts, methylphenidate or pemoline) were prescribed.  The authors computed trends in the percentage of visits in which a stimulant was prescribed stratified by background and clinical patient characteristics. Results are reported as odds ratios (ORs) over the 1994 to 2009 period. The authors also compare visits to psychiatrists and nonpsychiatrist physicians that yielded a stimulant prescription to an adult. Results: The percentage of visits in which stimulants were prescribed increased from 0.11% (1994-1997) to 0.70% (2006-2009) (OR, 13.72; 95% CI, 9.40 to 20.03).  Among adults aged ...
Source: NeLM - Mental Health - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: news