Consumption of Methylphenidate (Ritalin)Æin Aburr· valley, Antioquia,February-July 2003

Abstract

Objective: to describe the consumption of the medication Methylphenidate-ritalinÆ in Aburr· Valley in the

department of Antioquia, Colombia, in the period of February-July 2003, as for the variation in the consumption, the socio-demographic characteristic of the patients that consume it, and according to the variables of health, insurance and of accompanying medications. Methods: longitudinal and retrospective descriptive study that took as source of information the 1.917 patient consumers of the medication officially reported in the Rotational Fund of Narcotics (FRE) with a sample size of 100 clinical histories from which 93 were gathered by means of a form that allowed to collect the information of interest. Results: the monthly minimum consumption was of 150 milligrams and the maximum ascended to 900 milligrams per patient, with monthly averages that ranged from 362.9 to 398.4 milligrams per patient. The marked tendency of

this consumption average total is upward, being stabilized in high levels in the last two months. A total of

96.8% of all the diagnoses corresponded to the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The Neuro-

logical Institute and the Mental Hospital of Antioquia were the institutions that mostly distributed the medication or that more prescriptions issued to patients of both sexes (81.7%). A total of 46.2% patients are simultaneously treated with alternating medications to ritalinÆ. Conclusions: this study contributes to enlarge the knowledge on the illnesses and its respective medication and to improve the administrative procedures adopted by public entities which are in charge of controlling the medication all of which carries benefits to Antioquianarea in terms of the illustration and understanding of thetopic studied.