Andrey Elkin/ Alamy Stock Photo
NHS primary care prescribing of lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse; Takeda Pharmaceuticals) — a schedule 2 medicine for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — rose by 36% in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to Care Quality Commission (CQC) data.
In the report — ‘The safer management of controlled drugs: annual update 2025‘, published on 9 July 2026 — the CQC said that 991,195 items of lisdexamfetamine were prescribed in NHS primary care in 2025, up from 630,949 in 2024.
It also noted that NHS pharmacists prescribed 51,889 items of the drug in 2025, up 43% from 36,389 prescribed in 2024.
However, the most prescribed NHS medicine for ADHD was methylphenidate, at 1,948,402 items, which is an 11% increase compared with 2024, the report said.
In addition, the report highlighted that in the independent primary care sector, lisdexamfetamine was the most prescribed medicine for ADHD. Private prescribing of this drug increased by 98% in 2025, to 408,229 items, up from 206,206 in 2024.
The CQC said that the total number of schedule 2 and 3 drugs prescribed in independent primary care has risen by 64% between 2024 and 2025, from 540,227 items in 2024 to 886,582 items in 2025.
“Since 2021, this upward trend is influenced by the prescribing of schedule 2 controlled drugs licensed to treat ADHD,” it continued.
“This is most likely due to lack of access to NHS mental health services and increased awareness of the condition.”
Henry Shelford, chief executive of the charity ADHD UK, commented: “The healthcare gap in ADHD care in the UK is horrific, with NHS waits usually measured in years and sometimes in decades. This increase in ADHD medication should be celebrated as evidence that we are closing the ADHD healthcare gap. More so, we should celebrate every single data point because each one is an individual now getting the ADHD healthcare and support they need.
“More people getting the medication they need should be a no-brainer positive media story. It talks to the stigma and misunderstanding of ADHD, that too often we see the opposite — stories spun that ADHD medication is somehow a negative. ADHD medication is life-changing for many, including myself, and it is absolutely certain that we should be celebrating that more people are getting the medical help that they need.
“We are seeing multiple NHS areas put in increased barriers to ADHD care and seeing waiting times increase so, very sadly, we are not surprised to see the increase in private ADHD healthcare. It is deeply unfair and unequal and underlines the need for the NHS to make its ADHD services fit for purpose.”
The report added that NHS pharmacists undertook 57% of all non-medical prescribing of controlled drugs in 2025, compared with 56% in 2024.
In its recommendations, the CQC said: “In July 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will be independent prescribers. This offers an excellent opportunity to support high-quality and timely patient care. However, not all newly prescribing pharmacists work alongside other pharmacists, or as part of multidisciplinary teams, and they may experience professional isolation.
“This, along with a lack of peer review of prescribing, could present as a risk around controlled drugs. Providers — both those regulated by CQC and [General Pharmaceutical Council], across NHS and private settings — should consider how they can offer professional support to help reduce this risk.”
