Parents of children with ADHD say their children are refusing to take their medicine following the discussions that followed a documentary and reports on national broadcaster RÚV on the abuse of prescribed methylphenidate medicine in Iceland.
From Laugardalur in Reykjavík. The photo is not related to the story. By Páll Kjartansson.
Psychiatrist Grétar Sigurbergsson, who was named on RÚV as the physician prescribing the most methylphenidate medicine in Iceland in 2009, told ruv.is that the discussions had evolved into “witch hunting,” calling the talk of extensive Ritalin usage in Iceland “an unfounded crusade.”
The board of the ADHD Association in Iceland has released a statement declaring its discontent with how Ritalin and related medicine have almost solely been described as addictive drugs in the media, visir.is reports.
The board points out that a number of people require such medicine to be able to attend school, go to work and control their lives.
The medicine is supposed to be used for medical purposes and is mainly used legally. The exceptional abuse of the medicine is tragic, the board stated.
It is hoped that authorities will take measures to prevent the abuse of prescription drugs.
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