Back to Search
Start Over
ADHD in children: a path to free medicines
- Source :
- Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -). 185:171-175
- Publication Year :
- 2015
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2015.
-
Abstract
- Recent media coverage has highlighted discrepancies in the entitlements of children to free ADHD medication across the country. The Department of Health has since ruled that children with ADHD under 16 are entitled to receive free medications.This study examines the cost to the State of ADHD medication and implications for universal coverage under the long-term illness (LTI) scheme for under 16s. We estimate a potential cost for universal coverage for under 16s.Drug reimbursement entitlements were explored for children with ADHD. Data were retrieved from the Primary Care Reimbursement Services for the Community Drug Schemes for 2011. The cumulative and percentage-spent on the LTI scheme was calculated.€107,894 (4.4 %) of the €2.4 million State spent on ADHD medicines was under the LTI scheme in 2011. We estimate a potential cost of €8.4 million for costs of ADHD medicines for the state based on current prescribing patterns.There appears to be a significant underutilisation of the LTI scheme affording children free ADHD medication. Public and professional awareness campaigns are required to ensure families get the benefits to which they are entitled, and cost does not become a barrier to treatment adherence and improved outcomes. Leading from this, we propose suggestions for cost-effective prescribing to minimise potential cost implications.
- Subjects :
- Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
Media coverage
behavioral disciplines and activities
Drug Costs
State Medicine
Reimbursement Mechanisms
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Universal Health Insurance
mental disorders
medicine
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Child
Psychiatry
business.industry
Reimbursement Mechanism
General Medicine
Mental illness
medicine.disease
030227 psychiatry
Universal coverage
Long term illness
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Female
business
Ireland
PATH (variable)
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 18634362 and 00211265
- Volume :
- 185
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -)
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....b0d8e2f85a4cdb62480d6ef68c59ebee
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-015-1263-z