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Prescribing ADHD Meds by Telehealth Does Not Alter Risk for Substance Use Disorder Overall

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on June 17, 2025.

TUESDAY, June 17, 2025 -- Receipt of a stimulant prescription for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) via telehealth is not associated with an increased risk for substance use disorder (SUD), according to a study published online June 11 in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

Vinod Rao, M.D., Ph.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic health record data from March 1, 2020, to Aug. 25, 2023, to examine whether receiving an initial prescription for ADHD from a provider who the patient has never seen in person is associated with an increased risk for stimulant use disorder (stimUD) or other SUDs. A total of 7,944 patients were included in the sample.

The researchers found that a purely telehealth-based relationship versus any in-person relationship did not affect the risk for SUD or stimUD after adjustment for covariates. Compared with an in-person appointment, a telehealth visit at the time of the initial stimulant prescription did not alter the risk for subsequent SUD, but was associated with an increased risk for stimUD (adjusted odds ratio, 6.18).

"While we think the findings should be replicated, the vast majority of the data show no increase in substance use disorder developing when patients exclusively use telehealth," coauthor Timothy Wilens, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a statement. "Our study supports the use of telehealth for ADHD stimulant therapy in clinical settings."

Two authors disclosed ties to industry.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted June 2025

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