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About 1 million children in the United States have potentially been misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — simply because they are the youngest, and therefore the most immature, in their kindergarten class.
These children are significantly more likely to be prescribed behavior-modifying drugs such as Ritalin. Such inappropriate treatment is particularly troubling because of the unknown impacts of long-term stimulant use on children’s health.
According to Science Daily:
“It also wastes an estimated $320 million-$500 million a year on unnecessary medication — some $80 million-$90 million of it paid by Medicaid”.
Resources:
Science Daily August 18, 2010
Journal of Health Economics June 17, 2010 [Epub ahead of print]
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