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Trends in prescribing of antipsychotic medications for US children

William O Cooper1, Patrick G Arbogast, Hua Ding

  • 1Division of General Pediatrics/Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. william.cooper@vanderbilt.edu

Ambulatory Pediatrics : the Official Journal of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association
|March 15, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Antipsychotic prescribing for US children significantly increased from 1995-2002, with many prescriptions for unstudied conditions. This highlights the urgent need for rigorous clinical trials in pediatric populations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pharmacology
  • Child and adolescent psychiatry
  • Public health surveillance

Background:

  • Antipsychotic medications are increasingly prescribed for children.
  • Understanding prescribing trends and indications is crucial for child health.
  • Data on pediatric antipsychotic use are essential for evidence-based practice.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency of antipsychotic prescribing among children in the United States.
  • To analyze trends in antipsychotic prescribing from 1995 to 2002.
  • To identify indications for antipsychotic use in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.
  • Analyzed prescription data for US children aged 2-18 years between 1995 and 2002.
  • Calculated prescription frequencies per 1000 children and examined associated visit characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Over 5.7 million antipsychotic prescriptions were issued to US children between 1995-2002.
  • Approximately one-third of prescriptions were from non-mental health providers.
  • Prescribing frequency increased nearly fivefold, with significant use for unstudied conditions.

Conclusions:

  • A substantial rise in antipsychotic prescribing for children necessitates further investigation.
  • The widespread use for unapproved indications underscores the need for controlled pediatric studies.
  • Urgent research is required to ensure the safe and effective use of antipsychotics in children.
Abstract

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