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Clonidine utilization trends for Medicaid children

Esther Y Yoon1, Lisa Cohn, Albert Rocchini

  • 1Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. est@med.umich.edu

Clinical Pediatrics
|April 19, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Clonidine use in children nearly doubled from 2003-2008, primarily for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study highlights trends in pediatric ADHD treatment before FDA approval.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pharmacology
  • Medication utilization studies
  • Child and adolescent psychiatry

Background:

  • Clonidine, an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, has been used off-label for various pediatric conditions.
  • Understanding trends in pediatric medication use is crucial for evidence-based practice and guideline development.
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children, often managed with pharmacotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the utilization trends of clonidine among children aged 6 to 18 years.
  • To examine the indications for clonidine prescriptions in pediatric populations.
  • To identify demographic and prescriber characteristics associated with clonidine use.

Main Methods:

  • A serial cross-sectional analysis of Michigan Medicaid claims data from 2003 to 2008.
  • Identification of children aged 6-18 with at least one clonidine prescription.
  • Analysis of ICD-9 diagnoses, child demographics, and prescribing physician specialty.

Main Results:

  • The proportion of children receiving clonidine prescriptions nearly doubled between 2003 and 2008 across all demographics.
  • The majority of clonidine prescriptions were for simple and complex attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other mental health disorders.
  • Psychiatrists, general pediatricians, and adult primary care physicians were the leading prescribers of clonidine.

Conclusions:

  • Clonidine was widely used for treating pediatric ADHD prior to its FDA approval for this indication in 2010.
  • Further research is needed to evaluate the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of clonidine for pediatric ADHD treatment.
  • These findings underscore the importance of monitoring off-label medication use in children.
Abstract

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