Psychotropic co-medication among stimulant-treated children in The Netherlands

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine stimulant use from 1998 to 2002 among children in the Dutch pediatric population with emphasis on psychotropic co-medication. Methods: A drug utilization study was based on community pharmacy-dispensing data from 1998 to 2002 for children aged 0-19 years in the northern and eastern part of the Netherlands. Results: The prevalence of stimulant use increased from 0.6% in 1998 to 1.2% in 2002. Duration of stimulant treatment was longest in children aged 5-14 years. The use of any psychotropic co-medication in stimulant users increased from 12% in 1998 to nearly 15% in 2002. Of those youths who were prescribed stimulant medication in 2002, the most co-prescribed class was the antipsychotics (7.9%). In 1998, none of the stimulant-treated children received antidepressants for co-medication; in 2002, this was 1.8%. Conclusion: The prevalence of stimulant use among children in the Netherlands has increased in recent years, mainly as a result of the duration of stimulant treatment. Psychotropic co-medication among stimulant-treated children increased moderately.