title: Clonidine utilization trends for Medicaid children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize clonidine utilization trends among children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serial cross-sectional analysis of Michigan Medicaid claims data for children aged 6 to 18 years. The authors identified children with ≥1 clonidine prescription; the authors examined their ICD-9 diagnoses categorized as simple and complex attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), non-ADHD mental health disorder, hypertension, or others. Also identified were child demographics and prescribing physician specialty.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2003 to 2008, the proportion of children receiving clonidine prescription nearly doubled in all demographics. Across years, the majority of clonidine prescription was for simple and complex ADHD and other mental health disorders. Leading prescribers were psychiatrists followed by general pediatricians and adult primary care physicians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clonidine was used extensively to treat simple and complex ADHD in children although FDA approval for this indication did not occur until 2010. Further study is warranted to better understand clinical outcomes and costs associated with clonidine use for the treatment of children with ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. est@med.umich.edu
authors.forename: Esther Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cohn
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rocchini
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kershaw
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D003000:Clonidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008824:Michigan; D056687:Off-Label Use / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010372:Pediatrics; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011570:Psychiatry; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D003000:Clonidine