ADHD medication dispensing trends in Dutch youth before and after the implementation of the Youth Act (2010-2022).

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The Youth Act, implemented by the Dutch government in 2015, aimed to provide more efficient, coherent, and cost-effective care tailored to the specific needs of children, while also reducing medicalization. Between 2003 and 2013, there was a four-fold increase in methylphenidate prescriptions among Dutch children aged 4 to 18 years. However, the impact of the Youth Act on the ADHD medication dispensing remains unassessed. This study investigated changes in ADHD medication dispensing patterns among Dutch youth following the implementation of the Youth Act.

Method

A before-after retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the Dutch community pharmacy-based IADB.nl database among 137,684 youths aged 0-19 years using ADHD medication between 2010 and 2022.<

SUBMITTER: Ringeling LT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12743109 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature