title: Psychotropic co-medication among stimulant-treated children in The Netherlands.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine stimulant use from 1998 to 2002 among children in the Dutch pediatric population with emphasis on psychotropic co-medication.
  
  
  METHODS
  A drug utilization study was based on community pharmacy-dispensing data from 1998 to 2002 for children aged 0-19 years in the northern and eastern part of The Netherlands.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of stimulant use increased from 0.6% in 1998 to 1.2% in 2002. Duration of stimulant treatment was longest in children aged 5-14 years. The use of any psychotropic co-medication in stimulant users increased from 12% in 1998 to nearly 15% in 2002. Of those youths who were prescribed stimulant medication in 2002, the most co-prescribed class was the antipsychotics (7.9%). In 1998, none of the stimulant-treated children received antidepressants for co-medication; in 2002, this was 1.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of stimulant use among children in The Netherlands has increased in recent years, mainly as a result of the duration of stimulant treatment. Psychotropic co-medication among stimulant-treated children increased moderately.
authors.affiliation: Groningen University Institute for Drug Exploration, University of Groningen, University Centre for Pharmacy, Department of Social Pharmacy, Pharmacoepidemiology, and Pharmacotherapy, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Adrianne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Lolkje T W
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: de Jong-van den Berg
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tobi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs