DRUGGED UP: Ritalin is one of the drugs of choice for ADHD. Source: AP THE number of Queensland children taking subsidised drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder increased by 36 per cent in the two years to 2009, Medicare figures show.
In 2009, 13,711 Queenslanders aged up to 18 years were taking drugs subsidised on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for ADHD, up from 10,023 in 2007.
Almost 4000 more Queensland children were taking ADHD drugs last year than Victorians of the same age, despite the Sunshine State having a smaller population.
West Australian Labor MP Martin Whitely, who has campaigned against the overuse of stimulant medication to treat ADHD in his own state, said putting children on drugs because they were unable to concentrate in class was akin to "using a shotgun to kill a fly".
"Some kids do have real things going on in their lives that we need to deal with instead of just giving them a label and treating them with amphetamines," the former schoolteacher said.
"If kids are completely out of control and they're a danger to themselves, if medicating them is the only way you can get them to be compliant for a short period of time, I wouldn't have a problem. But that would be very, very rare."
Pediatrician and Royal Australasian College of Physicians' pediatric policy and advocacy committee chairman David Forbes said an ADHD diagnosis should only be made after a comprehensive assessment.
"Medications should only be considered for use when symptoms are pervasive across settings, for example, school and home, and causing significant impairment in academic, social or behavioural function, and after careful consideration of non-pharmacological approaches," he said.
"Patients receiving treatment for ADHD should be reviewed regularly, at least every six months."
Professor Forbes said drugs should not be used as a first-line of treatment for ADHD in pre-school aged children.
But Australian Medical Association Queensland president-elect Richard Kidd, a general practitioner, said ADHD drugs could greatly benefit both children and adults with the condition.
"I've seen children go from not being able to be a part of the education system to someone who's able to sit for most of the day and learn," Dr Kidd said.
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