ADHD meds dubbed ‘study aid’ now reach kids under 5

More than 10,000 tablets of ADHD medication are prescribed annually to infants and toddlers under the age of five. Known as a “study aid,” these drugs have expanded beyond teenagers to include preschool children, raising concerns about misuse and abuse.

According to data from Rep. Suh Myeong-ok of the People Power Party, received from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 38,456 tablets of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) medication containing methylphenidate were prescribed to infants and toddlers aged 0–4 over the past three years.

By year, 13,844 tablets were prescribed in 415 cases in 2022, 11,729 tablets (345 cases) in 2023, and 12,883 tablets (276 cases) in 2024, confirming that approximately 12,000 tablets are consistently prescribed annually.

Notably, among ADHD medications prescribed to children aged 0–4 during the same period, 323 cases in 2022, 249 cases in 2023, and 228 cases in 2024 were non-reimbursed prescriptions. This accounts for 70–80 percent of the annual total for this age group, indicating that many cases involved medication being prescribed without a formal ADHD diagnosis.

ADHD prescriptions for children aged 5 to 9 are also rapidly increasing. Annual prescriptions for this age group rose 39 percent, from 254,871 in 2022 to 354,342 in 2024. The quantity of medication prescribed during the same period also surged 55 percent, from approximately 8.43 million tablets to about 13.1 million tablets.

The cumulative prescription volume over three years reached 32.71 million tablets, with about 20 percent being non-covered prescriptions.

Representative Suh pointed out that most ADHD medications containing methylphenidate continue to be prescribed despite their safety and efficacy not being established for children under five.

“A thorough investigation is needed to determine whether psychotropic drugs are being overprescribed through non-covered benefits,” Suh said. “The reality that drugs with unproven safety and efficacy are being prescribed even to infants and toddlers is deeply concerning. The government must urgently conduct a fact-finding investigation and prepare countermeasures to prevent drug abuse fueled by the early education craze.”