Geographic Trends in Pediatric Psychotropic Medication Dispensing Before and After the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract
Objective:
This study examined trends and geographic variability in dispensing of prescription psychotropic medications to U.S. youths before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
Using national data on prescription medication dispensing, the authors performed a cross-sectional study examining the monthly percent change in psychotropic medications dispensed (total N=95,639,975) to youths (ages 5–18 years) in 2020 versus 2019, across medication classes and geographic regions.
Results:
For many medications, more were dispensed in March 2020 than in March 2019 and fewer in April–May 2020 versus April–May 2019. Stimulants had the largest decline: −26.4% in May 2020 versus May 2019. The magnitude of the monthly percent change varied by region.
Conclusions:
Fewer psychotropic medications were dispensed to U.S. youths after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with 2019. Although some medication classes rebounded to prepandemic dispensing levels by September 2020, dispensing varied by class and region.
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