Ritalin use on the rise

More children are being prescribed the drug Ritalin to control behaviour, prompting concerns it is being overused.

Pharmac figures show that the number of prescriptions for Ritalin increased by 10,000 to 60,000 in the year to June. Ritalin is primarily prescribed to control attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

St Patrick's College (Silverstream) principal David Leavy said: "I have some real issues with a drug that is mind-altering. The increase suggests it is being over-prescribed."

Trish Grant, a senior advocate in the Office of the Children's Commissioner, said risks associated with prescribing mind-altering drugs needed to be thought through.

An ADHD support group says Ritalin is prescribed on a monthly basis, so the total number of prescriptions should be divided by 12 to give a more accurate picture of how many are using it.

- NZPA