Ritalin 20mg Sustained Release tablets.Methylphenidate chemical structure
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Concerta

Methylphenidate (MPH) is an amphetamine-like prescription stimulant commonly used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adults. It is also one of the primary drugs used to treat symptoms of traumatic brain injury and the daytime drowsiness symptoms of narcolepsy and chronic fatigue syndrome. Brand names of drugs that contain methylphenidate include Ritalin®, Concerta® (a timed-release capsule), Metadate®, Methylin® and Rubifen®. more...

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Focalin® is a preparation containing only dextro-methylphenidate, rather than the usual racemic dextro- and laevo-methylphenidate mixture of other formulations.

History

Methylphenidate was patented in 1954 by the Ciba Pharmaceutical Company (a precursor to Novartis) and was initially prescribed as a treatment for depression, chronic fatigue, and narcolepsy, among other ailments. Beginning in the 1960s, it was used to treat children with ADHD, known at the time as hyperactivity or minimal brain dysfunction (MBD). Today methylphenidate is the medication most commonly prescribed to treat ADHD around the world. According to most estimates, more than 75 percent of methylphenidate prescriptions are written for children, with boys being about four times as likely to take methylphenidate as girls. Production and prescription of methylphenidate rose significantly in the 1990s, especially in the United States, as the ADHD diagnosis came to be better understood and more generally accepted within the medical and mental health communities.

Most brand-name Ritalin is produced in the United States, although methylphenidate is also produced in Mexico and Argentina by respective contract pharmaceutical manufacturers and is marketed under the brand name "Ritalin" for Novartis. In the United States, various generic forms of methylphenidate are also produced by several pharmaceutical companies (such as Methylin, etc.), and Ritalin is also sold in the United Kingdom, Germany, and other European countries (although in much lower volumes than the United States). Another medicine is Concerta. This was approved around the date of April 2000.

Effects

Methylphenidate is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. It has a "calming" effect on many children who have ADHD, reducing impulsive behavior and the tendency to "act out", and helps them concentrate on schoolwork and other tasks. Adults who have ADHD often find that MPH increases their ability to focus on tasks and organize their lives.

The means by which methylphenidate helps people with ADHD are not well understood. Some researchers have theorized that ADHD is caused by a dopamine imbalance in the brains of those affected. MPH is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, which means that it increases the level of the dopamine neurotransmitter in the brain by partially blocking the transporters that remove it from the synapses.

In the United States, methylphenidate is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, the designation used for substances that have a recognized medical value but which have a high potential for abuse. Internationally, methylphenidate is a Schedule II drug under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Some people abuse MPH by crushing the tablets and snorting them, the "high" resulting from the higher equivalent dose being absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream. The effect of Ritalin is similar to that of cocaine or amphetamine and such abuse can lead to addiction. When taken orally in prescribed doses, MPH is less addictive and may not produce a "high". After taking the drug or resuming it after going a month or more without it, the effects of dependence will tend to level off after a week, and again, after a month.

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Alza focuses on pharmacist education for Concerta launch - drug for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - Brief Article
From Drug Store News, 8/28/00 by Kim Roller

Alza's "back-to-school" launch for Concerta, the company's recently approved once-daily drug for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is placing a strong focus on pharmacist education and preparation even prior to physician detailing, the company stated.

"We're really trying to work with the pharmacy audience because obviously they're one of the most trusted caregivers and decision makers that influence a parent's decision and what they might want to look into for treating their child," said Alza's Mary Bordeaux, who noted the process began in late spring with an unbranded campaign through educational materials at the pharmacy.

By the end of August, that unbranded message will have switched to a Concerta-specific awareness program, stressing that fact that while other methylphenidate medications can require two or three doses per day, Concerta's controlled-release formulation eliminates the need for the in-school or after-school dosing for children with ADHD, which has become the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder in school-age children.

The program will include, for patients who receive a Concerta script, additional educational information and support materials. For ADHD patients who are not receiving Concerta, "it's a way for the pharmacists to let them know that there is some additional therapy available if they want to consider discussing it with their physician." Alza has also developed a pharmacy CE program that will follow the initial launch.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Lebhar-Friedman, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group

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