ADHD patients can safely receive stimulant medications via telehealth without increased risk of addiction, a new study finds.
United States: Individuals with ADHD could receive their medication remotely without exposing them more to addiction, a recent study notes.
There have been concerns by experts that prescribing stimulants, such as Adderall, during telehealth consultations may amplify substance abuse in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
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However, the study does not indicate any elevated risk among patients with ADHD who were given their meds through telehealth compared with those who received their scrips during a face-to-face visit, results presented on June 11 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
According to the lead researcher, Dr. Vinod Rao, medical director of adult ambulatory psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, “Our study suggests that, generally, telehealth-based relationships – which make health care more accessible – can be safe and don’t increase the risk of substance use disorder,” the US News reported.
In the research, researchers monitored about 8000 patients who received ADHD treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital between March 2020 and August 2023, when many physicians shifted to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results indicate that an in-person appointment was present on the day of prescribing the first stimulant for about 46 percent of patients.
On the whole, approximately 91 percent of patients received at least one face-to-face appointment with their physician before the first prescription, and 9 percent only communicated online with their doctor.
Still, results revealed that patients who never met their doctor in person were not at a higher risk of developing a substance use disorder.
However, the analysis revealed that patients who received their initial stimulant prescription with the help of telehealth had a six times greater chance of having an addiction to stimulants once researchers controlled other risk factors, the US News reported.
Overall, 19 patients ended up having a stimulant use disorder, meaning that this result might be incidental, according to the researchers.
Instead of being caused by telehealth, it might be true to say that there is a predisposition to substance use disorder among people who are seeking telehealth care, researchers said.