The number of patients prescribed methylphenidate-based narcotic drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has more than doubled from 133,813 in 2019 to 337,595 in 2024, prompting the government to crack down.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) said Wednesday that it will intensify monitoring and spot checks to ensure that narcotic drugs containing the ADHD drug methylphenidate are prescribed following the standards of narcotic abuse prevention measures.

The amount of methylphenidate prescribed per capita has not changed significantly over the past five years, from 263.3 tablets in 2019 to 262.8 tablets in 2020, 266.2 tablets in 2021, 257.1 tablets in 2022, 260.5 tablets in 2023, and 267.2 tablets in 2024.

However, the number of ADHD patients has increased significantly over the past five years, leading to an overall increase in methylphenidate usage.

“This is believed to be due to the increase in ADHD patients due to the establishment of new indicators for disorders, including mood disorders, for diagnosis, in 2022, and clarification of diagnostic criteria, which seems to be a common trend worldwide,” the MFDS noted.

Due to the nature of the disease, about 50 percent of pediatric and adolescent patients require ongoing treatment until adulthood, and changes in the healthcare environment, such as improved access to mental health clinics and hospitals, are also likely to have contributed to the increase in usage, the ministry added.

To prevent indiscriminate prescribing as methylphenidate usage increases, the MFDS added methylphenidate to the “Criteria to Prevent Misuse of Narcotic Drugs” last September and is monitoring medical institutions that may be abusing the drug using the Integrated Narcotics Management System.

The criteria for preventing methylphenidate misuse include prescribing and administering it for more than three months, prescribing and administering it outside the purpose of treatment (ADHD or sleep attacks), and prescribing and administering it over the maximum daily permitted dose.

The MFDS also said it plans to analyze prescription details reported to the integrated drug management system and conduct intensive inspections of suspected misused medical institutions, including over-prescriptions.

“We will take measures against online fraudulent advertisements, including ‘study boosters,’ by closely checking online posts,” the ministry said. ‘We plan to thoroughly check and manage the misuse of narcotics so that medical narcotics can be prescribed and used appropriately in the medical field.”

The government will continue to monitor the supply and demand of ADHD medications and communicate with relevant companies to ensure that there are no difficulties in using them in the field, the ministry said, adding that it would actively consider administrative support if necessary.