Clinician Articles
SavRx disrupts effective ADHD treatment
With an increasing number of adults being nearly diagnosed with ADHD, the expense of ADHD medications for insurance companies has escalated. While the annual prescription increase for childhood ADHD is less than 3%, the ADHD prescription market is growing at approximately 10% per year. As a result of this change, companies are under increased pressure […]
ADD stimulant substitution by insurance prohibited in Maryland
Step therapy is the requirement that a patient first try less costly medication before being prescribed medication a doctor thinks is best for the individual patient and specific symptoms/history. In the recent past, insurance companies had requested that adults with ADHD first be treated with a short-acting stimulant despite the fact that no short-acting stimulant […]
FDA looking into generic long-acting methylphenidates and variable effect
The following post from the FDA appeared today about complaints that generic long-acting methylphenidates (brand name-Concerta) may not work equally well. “In the case of the ADHD drug — certain generic versions of methylphenidate hydrochloride (Concerta, Janssen Pharmaceuticals) — the issue is a possible lack of therapeutic effect, which may be linked to product quality […]
Unmasking ADHD in Adults-Medscape article Jan 2013
As an advocate for patient education, I direct my patients to credible sources of information on ADHD and associated disorders. Medscape is a highly reputable site for medical professionals and a great site for patients who wish to read about research and the state-of-the-art medicine. I was invited to write a continuing medical education for […]
ADHD over age 50 – WebMD
For those with ADHD as an adult, it doesn’t go away. According to the National Comorbidity Survey Replication study published 2006, of those with adult ADHD, 75% were not diagnosed as children. In my practice it is not uncommon for patients over age 50 to be newly diagnosed. I provided my expertise in this area […]
Overview of Adult ADHD
The prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults 18-44 years of age range from 4.4% to 5.2%. The proportion of those adults who receive pharmacologic or nonpharmacologic treatment for ADHD is only 10.9% to 12.6%, indicating that ADHD remains undiagnosed and untreated in millions of adults in the United States. The potential consequences of ADHD […]
Treatment: Medications Research
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder that leads to significant impairment across the lifespan. Although historically defined as a childhood disorder, the adult manifestation has more recently been identified; yet, many adults with this disorder remain unidentified and untreated. This series of 15 short articles provide brief overviews of important topics […]
Comorbidity of Adult ADHD
Based on the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), 18.6% (SE=4.2%) of study participants with ADHD also had MDD, compared with 7.8% (SE=0.4%) who had MDD but did not have ADHD (OR=2.7; 95% CI, 1.5-4.9) (Table 2). All comorbid conditions were significantly greater in the ADHD populations but did not vary greatly across disorder class (OR=2.7-7.5 […]
DSM-5 Considerations for Adult ADHD
Recent studies have suggested that late-onset adult ADHD is valid and that the DSM-IV’s age-at-onset criterion of age 7 is too stringent. Given the lack of empirical evidence supporting the age-at-onset criteria of ADHD, combined with practical difficulties in demonstrating impairment before age 7 in older adolescents and adults, some experts have argued that the […]
FDA improves Drug Labeling for Pregnancy and Lactation
Over the years, it has been challenging for psychiatrists to manage the risks of psychiatric medications in patients who considered childbearing, become pregnant, and chose to breastfeed. And while there is some information on many psychiatric medications, there remains little in regards to stimulant medications. Unfortunately, there is no registry for stimulant exposed pregnancy by […]