The prescription of drug deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD) strongly varies from one canton to another in Switzerland, according to an analysis relayed Wednesday by the newspapers of CH Media. These differences are particularly marked in adults, but also in children and adolescents. The reasons for these disparities are still vague.
Basel-city displays the highest prescription rate in adults, with 9.1 daily doses per 1000 inhabitants. This figure is almost seven times higher than that recorded in Ticino, which closes the walking with only 1.3 doses.
Ticino, the worst
Among young people, a similar North-South gap is observed, according to 2023 data from the Atlas of Health Care of the Swiss Health Observatory on which the titles of CH Media are based. The canton of Neuchâtel comes first, with 17.4 daily doses per 1000 inhabitants, followed by Basel-Campagne (14.7 doses). Ticino, again, records the lowest rate, with only 2.2 daily doses.
Ritalin and related drugs are more prescribed in urban areas than in rural regions, we learn further. “The north-south divide observed in Switzerland is also found at European level,” noted Ticino cantonal doctor Giorgio Merlani in the titles of CH Media. According to several experts, these differences could in particular be explained by greater tolerance, in the south of the country, towards typical ADHD behavior.
repayment
