This was a finding of a study published in the December issue of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

The study examined data on more than 15,000 ADHD patients in Western Australia receiving medication in 2004. Of these patients, between 5% and 19% were dispensed stimulants over and above their expected requirements during the year.

A small number of patients obtained as much as an estimated 5,500 mg (11 bottles of stimulant dexamphetamine of 5mg per tablet) a year above the amount that their treating doctor reported to the WA Department of Health.

The study has recommended improvements in the WA Stimulant Regulatory Guidelines in the interest of patient safety, public transparency, methodological rigour and encouraging good prescription practices. It would also assist the doctors and pharmacists who prescribe and dispense these medications.

ADHD affects approximately 3-5% of school-age children; of these, 40% persist with symptoms into adulthood. -Blackwell Publishing Ltd.