Cost Effectiveness of Pharmacotherapies for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Among children and adolescents with ADHD, there was consistent evidence that pharmacotherapies are cost effective compared with no treatment or behavioural therapy. Adequate data are lacking to draw conclusions regarding the relative cost effectiveness of different pharmacological agents. More economic evaluations with standardized methods, such as effectiveness measures and cost components, are warranted. To better inform payers about the economic value of existing medications, future studies should also consider identifying subgroups that may have heterogeneous responses to different treatments, including analyses of recently approved treatments (e.g. lisdexamfetamine, guanfacine extended-release and clonidine extended-release) and expanding the time horizon to incorporate long-term outcomes.

Adherence, persistence, and medication discontinuation in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder – a systematic literature review

“…Pharmacologic treatment is a key component of evidence-based care for patients with ADHD and has been shown to be a cost-effective therapeutic option 4. Currently, there are two main classes of medications with proven efficacy for ADHD – stimulants and nonstimulants.…”

Comparative treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization and costs of atomoxetine and long-acting methylphenidate among children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Germany

“…The use of pharmacotherapy versus no treatment or behavioural therapy in children and adolescents with ADHD is cost-effective from a societal perspective [5]. Approximately one-half of the children/adolescents diagnosed with ADHD in Germany receive pharmacotherapy [6].…”

Period Prevalence of Concomitant Psychotropic Medication Usage Among Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder During 2009

“…Medication management has been shown to be cost effective for the treatment of ADHD (Wu et al 2012). Psychostimulants are typically the first-line pharmacologic therapy, with *70% of patients responding to this treatment in short-term studies (6-10 weeks) (May and Kratochvil 2010;Wolraich et al 2011).…”