THE NUMBER OF people receiving prescriptions for ADHD medication has skyrocketed over the past 10 years, new research has shown.

A paper authored by Anthony Maher from the University of Galway’s School of Psychology, and published by the Irish Medical Journal, found that the dosage units – meaning tablets or capsules – of ADHD medication dispensed to adults in Ireland more than doubled from 2015 to 2024.

The research did not include the varying doses of each unit, which could be between 10mg and 70mg for some medications.

The number of patients receiving ADHD medication through public schemes soared from 3,377 to 13,966 in this time, an increase of 314% or 4.14 times the original figure. 

The demographic with the largest patient growth was those aged between 16 and 34. The number of female patients also shot up massively and nearly equalised with men over the 10 years.

The figures used by the researchers were extracted from reimbursements under public schemes, like the Drugs Payment Scheme and the General Medical Services Scheme, which cover around 40% of the population – meaning the total number of those prescribed the medication may be much higher when accounting for those paying privately.

ADHD prescriptions

ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention, impulse control and decision-making. Increased awareness of how it presents in adults has driven demand for diagnosis and treatment.

As noted in Maher’s paper, it was initially understood primarily as a childhood disorder.

Lengthy research has established that it frequently persists into adulthood, with an estimated adult prevalence between 2% and 3% worldwide. The disorder can present differently amongst different demographics.

Girls in Ireland are still much less likely to be diagnosed than boys, recent data from the Central Statistics Office has evidenced.

In Ireland, those with diagnoses are primarily prescribed stimulants methylphenidate (medication known by brand names Ritalin and Concerta) or lisdexamfetamine (Tyvense in Ireland, but well-known by its US name Vyvanse).

The number of recorded dosage units of both medications increased by 211% (700,574 to 2,217,634) between 2015 and 2024, the paper said.

Units of lisdexamfetamine rose by 504% (59,088 to 356,641) between 2020 and 2023.

Who is getting diagnosed? And why is the number shooting up?

There are many reasons thought to be behind the cause of the heightening diagnoses, the first being more visibility of ADHD. 

Maher told The Journal that the research is “not exhaustive” and is more of a “partial representation” when assessing the amount of medication reimbursed through the public schemes. 

Anecdotally, he noticed increasing proportions of ADHD medication being dispensed while working as a pharmacist. 

The proportion of medication being dispensed has no bearing on the number of diagnoses, he added.

In the UK, a research paper published earlier this year found “no evidence” that ADHD is overdiagnosed and could even be “underdiagnosed”.  

In a finding that matches the increase in prescriptions observed in Ireland, researchers from the University of Southampton found a rise in the rate of actual diagnosis of the condition in clinical services between 2000 and 2018.

The authors pointed out that while this has increased, the data suggests it is still “substantially below the ADHD population prevalence in the UK, providing no evidence at present that ADHD is overdiagnosed at a population level”.

Ireland’s public ADHD service for adults launched in 2021 and was quickly overwhelmed by demand, leading to an ecosystem of private providers launching to fill the gap.

From the figures of those receiving reimbursement for their prescriptions, there have been notable increases in ADHD patients in more rural areas in Ireland. North Cork saw the highest increase in patients – 437% – from 38 patients to 204, followed by Waterford, Cork South Lee, and Sligo/Leitrim.

Maher said that the figures could reflect “increased awareness, and perhaps a reduced stigma” around assessments and medication for ADHD.