There Is No "Study Drug": Half of ADHD Medication Prescriptions Are for Teens

Serious Abuse of Medical Narcotics Raises Concerns Over Side Effects

The number of prescriptions for methylphenidate, a medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that is often mistakenly referred to as a "study drug," is rapidly increasing in South Korea. Both the total number of prescriptions and the number of patients prescribed the medication are such that those aged 19 and under account for about half of each.

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According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Institute of Drug Safety & Risk Management on October 4, the number of methylphenidate prescriptions in the first half of this year reached 58.05 million, marking a 12.1% increase compared to the same period last year. This represents a 37.8% increase compared to the 42.13 million prescriptions in the first half of 2024. Looking at monthly prescription figures, May of last year saw the highest monthly prescriptions in the first half of the year at 9.22 million, while both April and June of this year exceeded 10 million prescriptions.

For methylphenidate, those aged 19 and under account for about half of both the patients and total prescriptions. In the first half of this year, the number of prescriptions for this age group reached 28.81 million. Notably, prescriptions for males 19 and under totaled 20.9 million, far surpassing the 7.91 million prescriptions for females in the same age group. Prescriptions for males 19 and under have shown a continuous upward trend, with 15.78 million in the first half of 2024 and 18.73 million in the first half of last year.

This increase is even more pronounced when compared to other medical narcotics. In the first half of this year, the number of prescriptions for painkillers and anti-anxiety medications increased by just 0.4–4.5% compared to the first half of last year, while appetite suppressants and antitussives saw decreases in prescription numbers.

Methylphenidate must be taken under a doctor's prescription, and people without relevant medical conditions may experience adverse effects such as headaches, insomnia, hallucinations, or delusions if they take it. A representative from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety noted, "In special inspections conducted in May and August this year, we uncovered 1,733 cases of illegal online sales or brokered postings related to methylphenidate," and added, "Purchasing medication online without a prescription or taking medication received from others can lead to legal penalties."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.