More people in Lancashire being prescribed ADHD drugs

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition which impacts many people across the UK.

Adults and children with the condition may have difficulty concentrating, act impulsively and appear restless.

Figures from the NHS Open Prescribing service show 5,694 patients received ADHD medication in the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board area in the three months to June.

This was a rise from 4,919 patients during the same period last year, and a jump of 49 from 3,818 in the spring of 2020.

These figures cover how many patients with an NHS number picked up a prescription during that time frame – accounting for 92 per cent of prescriptions received in the area.

The ADHD Foundation said just over 200,000 (10 per cent) of an estimated two million UK citizens with the condition are receiving medication.

Tony Lloyd, chief executive of the charity, said ADHD has been significantly underdiagnosed – particularly among women.

He attributes the increase in prescribing to "rebalancing" this under-diagnosis.

However, he added: "Medication should not be used in isolation and should form part of a range of strategies and lifestyle choices to manage ADHD successfully."

The uptick in prescribing comes amid a shortage of key drugs used to treat the condition.

The shortages are expected to be resolved between October and December.

In September, the NHS issued a national patient safety alert about a shortage of certain drugs used to treat the condition.

These include some formats of the most prescribed drug for ADHD – methylphenidate hydrochloride – alongside all lisdexamfetamine and guanfacine medication.

The NHS has previously said there is also a shortage of some types of atomoxetine.

In Lancashire and South Cumbria, 5,198 patients were prescribed one of these drugs in some form in the three months to June.

Henry Shelford, chief executive of the ADHD UK charity, said medication is "life-changing" for those with the condition – and taking it away can have disastrous consequences for individuals with ADHD.

He said: "The NHS should have realised that this was happening and had a plan in place.

"Instead, people are only finding out when their pharmacy can't supply. They've been left stranded with no support.

"Medication is carefully given with dosage and type worked out over months. The idea it can be chopped and changed is wrong.

"This is devastating for individuals across the country and will be life-changing for some. People with ADHD are being let down by the NHS – this is just the latest way in which we are being failed.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We are aware of supply issues affecting medicines used for the management of ADHD due to increased global demand, and we have issued communications to the NHS to advise healthcare professionals on management of patients during this time.

"We continue to work closely with the respective manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible and to ensure patients have continuous access to ADHD medicines in the UK."

Dr Jim Hacking, GP clinical lead for mental health at NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board said: “We are aware of the increase in prescriptions for ADHD medications.

"This is part of a national picture that all areas of the country are seeing where more adults and children are being diagnosed and prescribed medications for ADHD.

"This is believed to be due to an increase in awareness of this condition. Due to this increase we are further developing our services for adults and children both with our main NHS providers and third sector providers to offer robust diagnostic pathways and both psycho-social support and medication options.”