• Heng-Ching Liao, Fang-Ju Lin, Chien-Ning Hsu, Susan Shur-Fen Gau, and Chi-Chuan Wang.
• Graduate Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei Taiwan.
• J Formos Med Assoc. 2023 Jun 1; 122 (6): 514517514-517.

AbstractThis study documented the prescribing patterns of methylphenidate and atomoxetine among patients aged 3 to 18 in Taiwan diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between 2004 and 2017. Initial treatment for ADHD, the time between the first diagnosis and the first prescription, and medication-switching patterns were investigated. The final cohort consisted of 256,882 patients, and 147,210 (57.3%) of them received medication treatment. Most of the patients (98.2%) received methylphenidate. Atomoxetine use increased from 0.1% in 2007 to 5.5% in 2017. The median time between the ADHD diagnosis and the first prescription was 21 days (IQR: 0-212 days). In patients who initiated methylphenidate, 12,406 (8.4%) patients switched to atomoxetine; 850 (31.3%) of the children began with atomoxetine and switched to methylphenidate. In conclusion, methylphenidate was the predominant treatment for ADHD in 2004-2017. However, the prevalence of pharmacotherapy for ADHD was relatively low. Further investigation on the reasons behind this pattern is recommended.Copyright © 2023 Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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