The Dutch health council is concerned at the soaring rate of prescriptions for Ritalin, a medicine used on children who have been diagnosed with hyperactivity.

Almost 4.5% of Dutch children aged four to 18 are taking methylphenidate, the active ingredient in Ritalin, but many of them do not benefit and may not actually have ADHD, the council says.

The number of Ritalin prescriptions has quadrupled in recent years, the council says in a report drawn up for junior health minister Martin van Rijn.

‘We need to pay far more attention to what healthcare providers, schools and employers are doing to solve the problems facing young people,’ the council says.

Pressure

The council says the pressure on young people and growing intolerance of what could be considered abnormal behaviour is driving up demand. And while the medication does have a short-term effect, in the long term it leads to sleeping problems, headaches and other issues.

Van Rijn has told the council he agrees the increasing number of prescriptions for Ritalin is a problem. ‘We have to be alert to the trend,’ he said. ‘And we do not know all there is to know about the effect of the drug, particularly in the long term.’