Medications for attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Japan: A retrospective cohort study of label compliance

Abstract

Abstract Aim To assess label compliance in prescription of medications approved for treatment of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Japan at the time of this study: methylphenidate (MPH), atomoxetine, and guanfacine. Methods Retrospective descriptive study was conducted in prevalent‐user cohorts from the Japan Medical Data Center database. Patients who were prescribed a study drug between January 1, 2013 and September 30, 2018 and were in the database for ≥30 days were included. A prescription was considered compliant if all 4 criteria were satisfied: appropriate age, daily dose not exceeding the approved maximum, no contraindicated concurrent medications, and no contraindicated conditions. Results Among 17 418 patients who were prescribed a study drug during 2013‐2018, 73% were male and 53% were children (aged 85% of patients, all prescriptions were label‐compliant for dose, and for approximately 80%, all prescriptions were label‐compliant for contraindicated conditions. We did not find evidence of widespread abuse or noncompliant use of prescribed ADHD medications.

Keywords

• atomoxetine
• guanfacine
• JMDC
• label compliance
• methylphenidate