To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Researchers Find Potential For Ritalin Abuse In Schools URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/84F7A.htm Doctor's Guide June 15, 1998
WASHINGTON, MD -- June 15, 1998 -- Researchers have discovered wide variations in rules and enforcement procedures in schools that they say pose a potential for abuse of Ritalin (methylphenidate) and other prescribed stimulant medication taken by children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Cynthia Musser and colleagues at the Marshfield Clinic's Medical Research Foundation in Wisconsin, surveyed 53 school principals in rural areas and small towns in central Wisconsin, then anonymously surveyed 73 schoolchildren in rural sections of central Wisconsin and northern Michigan who had been prescribed Ritalin for at least five years. They found that some schools store the medications unlocked. Some students carry their medication with them. Sixteen percent of the children said they had been asked to sell, give, or trade their medication to others. Yet, both school principals and students said they saw no problems of medication abuse. Study findings are published in this month's issue of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. "The potential for abuse exists with 16 percent [of the students] having been asked to either sell, give or trade their stimulant medication," the researchers write. "Although the survey did not address whether the children had actually given, sold, or traded their medication, it is possible that some of them did, given the significance of peer pressure. The potential for unauthorised access or theft also exists at all grade levels." Most schools, they report, keep medication in a locked cabinet in a central location. Most students either carry their own medication or store it in a school office, nurse's office or principal's office. The researchers recommend that states and schools adopt and enforce policies regarding the use and dispensing of medication, and that school administrators, teachers, health care providers and affected families all be consulted to develop such policies. "It is incumbent on the physician to educate parent and child regarding the appropriate use, as well as the potential for abuse of these drugs," the researchers write. "Monitoring prescription usage, periodic follow-up and continuing education of parents, teaching staff and child should all be part of a multimodal treatment plan for [ADHD]." Findings are limited because the students completed their surveys at home and may have been influenced by parents. The researchers also note that results from a largely rural population might not be the same as for other geographic areas where diagnosis and treatment approaches might differ. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.