Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting and Prescribing Trends of Drugs for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Primary Care England, 2010-2019

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the prescription trends and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of ADHD drugs in primary care, England between 2010 and 2019.

METHODS: The Prescription Cost Analysis database presenting the primary care prescriptions data and the Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles presenting all suspected ADRs reported for each drug were screened. The data were analyzed using linear regression analysis to examine the annual average change per year.

RESULTS: The prescription items dispensed for ADHD showed an average 11.07% (95% CI 10.54-11.60, p = .001) increase per year and there was a mean 11.54% (95% CI 11.03-12.06, p = .001) increase per year in the costs. The overall reporting of serious and fatal ADR was reduced by 1.79% per year for ADHD drugs. Guanfacine showed a 40% mean increase per year.

CONCLUSION: The increasing use of ADHD drugs within primary care in England could be a result of multiple factors such as growing ADHD prevalence.