Iceland’s Minister of Health announces task force to assess ADHD medication use among Icelanders

Iceland’s Minister of Health, Willum Þór Þórsson, has announced that a task force is currently working on mapping the use of ADHD medications among Icelanders. A recent study indicates that Icelanders consume over thirteen times more ADHD drugs than Norwegians, and three times more than Swedes.

The health ministry’s initiative aims to not only assess the extent of ADHD medication usage but also to evaluate the accessibility of these drugs. Willum Þórsson has expressed his approval of the study’s findings, which showed that nearly fifteen percent of children and adolescents aged seven to seventeen used ADHD medications last year. Specifically, this includes almost eighteen percent of boys and nearly twelve percent of girls, with even higher usage rates in the twelve to seventeen age group.

The minister emphasized that the findings suggest the prevalence of ADHD diagnoses and treatments in Iceland is significantly higher than in neighboring Nordic countries. Willum remarked that while the accessibility of medications appears to be adequate, the study revealed that based on expected accessibility, the actual usage of ADHD medications is potentially underestimated, being two to three times higher than anticipated.

This mapping project will provide crucial insights into ADHD treatment in Iceland and its implications for public health and policy moving forward.