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Methylphenidate in children with hyperactivity: review and cost-utility analysis

A Gilmore1, R Milne

  • 1ECOHOST, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. anna.gilmore@lshtm.ac.uk

Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
|August 14, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Methylphenidate effectively treats children with hyperkinetic disorder in the short term. This ADHD medication offers reasonable cost-effectiveness, providing benefits within weeks to months.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychiatry
  • Pharmacoeconomics
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Hyperkinetic disorder, characterized by inattention and hyperactivity, affects numerous children.
  • Effective treatment options are crucial for managing childhood behavioral and developmental conditions.
  • Understanding the cost-effectiveness of interventions aids healthcare resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the efficacy of methylphenidate for hyperkinetic disorder in children.
  • To determine the cost-effectiveness of methylphenidate treatment from a healthcare perspective.
  • To evaluate methylphenidate's impact on Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs).

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature review of randomized controlled trials was conducted.
  • Cost utility analysis compared methylphenidate to placebo.
  • Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) were estimated using the Index of Health Related Quality of Life.

Main Results:

  • Methylphenidate demonstrated benefits over weeks and months in good and medium-quality trials.
  • Evidence for long-term effectiveness into adolescence and adulthood is limited.
  • Short- and medium-term treatment showed reasonable cost-effectiveness with an estimated cost per QALY of £7,400 to £9,200 (1997 prices).

Conclusions:

  • Short-term methylphenidate treatment is effective for children with hyperkinetic disorder.
  • The intervention is considered cost-effective for short-term use.
  • Further research is needed to clarify long-term treatment outcomes.
Abstract

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