Australia Places Restrictions on ADHD Drug Use

[Guest guest]

Copyright 2002 Nationwide News Pty Limited

The Australian

 

 

December 19, 2002, Thursday

 

SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. 4

 

LENGTH: 465 words

 

HEADLINE: Tougher limits on ADHD drug use

 

SOURCE: MATP

 

BYLINE: Victoria Laurie

 

BODY:

 

TOUGH new measures to rein in the prescription of medication for

children

with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder will be launched in

Western

Australia today.

 

The state has among the highest rates of ADHD diagnosis in the world,

rivalling that of the US and Canada.

 

Health Minister Bob Kucera said widespread community concern about

high

prescribing rates meant there was a need to explore new ways of

treating the

disorder. Under the policy, doctors will need to demonstrate other

medical

conditions have been excluded before making an ADHD diagnosis.

 

They will be required to try other treatments before resorting to

prescribing powerful stimulant drugs such as Ritalin and

dexamphetamines.

 

Block authorisation, which allows doctors to prescribe stimulants

without

notifying health authorities of individual cases, will be abolished.

 

A new assessment panel will review prescribers' compliance with

revised

treatment guidelines, and behaviour management at home and school

will be

encouraged.

 

" We want families, physicians and people dealing with children to

look at

the issue far more broadly, rather than say 'It's ADHD', " Mr Kucera

said.

 

A study in the Medical Journal of Australia in November showed West

Australian doctors prescribed drugs for ADHD three times more than

Victorian

doctors and twice as often as those in NSW. It also showed the use of

such

medication had risen 26 per cent a year nationwide between 1984 and

2000 --

and 40 per cent in Western Australia.

 

Many specialists argue the trend is appropriate and a sign of world-

leading

practice in the state, but the rise in drug use has prompted concerns

of

unnecessary and potentially dangerous overprescribing.

 

Mr Kucera said medication might be appropriate to treat ADHD, but

closer

monitoring of psychostimulant medication was essential.

 

" Children are so precious to us that it's not good enough to just

give them

a little pill, " he said.

 

State Labor MP Martin Whitely, whose southeast Perth electorate of

Roleystone has the highest prescribing rate in Australia, says he is

relieved to see block authorisation abolished.

 

Mr Whitely has formed the Drug-Free Attention Deficit Support Group,

which

drew 60 concerned parents to its inaugural meeting last month.

 

" Block authorisation meant the heaviest prescribers were the least

accountable, " he said.

 

" Under the new policy each doctor will be equally accountable and a

committee will look at who's prescribing to whom. I will be very

disappointed if the state's prescribing rate doesn't come down. "

 

Mr Kucera said he was aware that deflecting people from drugs might

put

pressure on pediatric and child psychologists, already in short

supply. He

said the Government needed to ensure families could get professional

help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_______________

[Guest guest]

Australia seem to be steaks ahead of the rest of world on this one, let's

hope the rest of the world catch up quickly. It is so easy to put a label on

something and throw meds at it - perhaps this will stop the mass destruction

of the next generation.

 

marianne

 

 

> Health Minister Bob Kucera said widespread community concern about

> high

> prescribing rates meant there was a need to explore new ways of

> treating the

> disorder. Under the policy, doctors will need to demonstrate other

> medical

> conditions have been excluded before making an ADHD diagnosis.

>

>