Pharmacological treatments prescribed to young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in UK primary care

Abstract

Aims/Objective: Little is known about patterns of pharmacological treatment and associated co-morbidities in ASD. We assessed the prevalence of ASD, psychotropic drug prescribing and neuropsychiatric co-morbidities in young people. Methods: A descriptive cohort study using The Health Improvement Network database of UK patient records. Individuals aged <25 years with a diagnosis of ASD during 1992-2008 were identifi ed. Annual ASD prevalence and proportions of the cohort prescribed psychotropic medications or with neuropsychiatric co-morbidities were calculated. Results: Psychotropic drugs were prescribed to 29% (1,619/5,651) of the cohort; the most prescribed drugs were sleep medication (9.7%), psychostimulants (7.9%), antipsychotics (7.3%). Psychostimulant prescribing increased from 1.5% to 6.3% (1999 to 2008). Neuropsychiatric co-morbidities were seen in 37% of patients; developmental diffi culties/learning disability were most common (12.6%). Conclusions: Use of psychostimulants and antipsychotics is much higher in those with ASD than in the general population. Further studies examining their effi cacy and long-term safety are needed.