ADHD drug prescriptions surge 38% in 2 years

Prescriptions for methylphenidate, an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment widely known as "study drug" among students in Korea, have surged nearly 38 percent over the past two years in the country and are especially high among people aged 19 and under, data showed Sunday.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management, 58.05 million methylphenidate tablets were prescribed in the first half of this year, up 12.1 percent from the same period a year earlier.

This marked a 37.8 percent increase from the first half of 2024, when 42.13 million tablets were prescribed.

Methylphenidate is a controlled medical substance in Korea and needs a doctor's prescription to be purchased.

Alarming is that methylphenidate prescriptions were particularly high among people aged 19 and under, who accounted for about half of the total.

In the first half of this year, 28.81 million tablets were prescribed to people in the age group. Males accounted for 20.9 million tablets, far more than the 7.91 million prescribed to females.

Prescriptions for males aged 19 and under have risen steadily, from 15.78 million tablets in the first half of 2024 to 18.73 million in the same period in 2025.

The number of patients prescribed methylphenidate has also increased. In June, about 225,000 people were prescribed the drug, 35,000 more than the same month in 2025.

The increase comes amid concerns that methylphenidate is increasingly being viewed as a "study drug" that can improve concentration and academic performance. Among some students and parents, the drug has gained a reputation for helping people study better and dramatically boosting concentration. Korean students are under huge academic stress, especially during their high school years.

Health authorities have warned against the misuse of the drug among students, adding that those who take the drug just to enhance their academic performance may experience side effects including headaches, insomnia and hallucinations.

The drug safety ministry has stepped up efforts to prevent misuse and correct such misconceptions through campaigns emphasizing that methylphenidate is not a nutritional supplement.

The ministry said it identified 1,733 online posts offering or facilitating the illegal sale of methylphenidate during inspections conducted in May and August.

"People who purchase the drug online without a prescription or take medication obtained from someone else may face punishment," a ministry official said.

The rise in methylphenidate prescriptions has outpaced that of other medical narcotics.

Prescriptions for painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs and sedatives rose 0.4 percent to 4.5 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year, while those for appetite suppressants and cough medicines declined.