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The number of adults in England prescribed medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has risen by almost a quarter in the past year, NHS Business Services Authority Digital (NHS BSA) data show.
According to data published by NHS BSA on 24 July 2025, 190,000 adults were prescribed central nervous system (CNS) stimulants and drugs for ADHD in 2024/2025, a 24.3% increase from 2023/2024.
In 2024/2025, 135,000 children were prescribed CNS stimulants and drugs for ADHD, an increase of 9.5% since 2023/2024, the data revealed.
A total of 71,047 patients who were prescribed ADHD medication in 2024/2025 were aged 10–14 years, accounting for more than a third of the total number of prescriptions.
A total of 38 patients aged 0–4 years received ADHD medication in 2024/2025, while 48 patients were aged 90 years or over.
Data covering the past ten years show that the number of identified patients receiving prescriptions for ADHD has more than trebled.
In 2015/2016, there were 107,155 identified patients, which rose to 326,450 in 2024/2025, the ten-year data show.
The data also indicated an increase in the number of women receiving prescriptions for ADHD.
In 2015/2016, women made up 24% of identified patients, while in 2024/25 this figure had risen to 38%.
There have been persistent shortages of ADHD medicines in the UK since 2022, owing to increased global demand and manufacturing issues, which pharmacists have warned can put patients at risk.
Henry Shelford, chief executive of the charity ADHD UK, said: “The increase in people receiving an ADHD diagnosis and medication should be celebrated, especially as many will have waited years to get to this point. Each data point is an individual now getting help they need.
“These ADHD diagnoses and support mean lives turned around, careers rehabilitated, people moving out of crisis, out of destitution, into work and off benefits. Undiagnosed ADHD is costing the UK billions, costing individuals their livelihood and sometimes their lives. These figures represent a positive step forward, but with so many still undiagnosed, there is still a lot of work to be done.”
Shelford said that “the proportional increase in women and girls receiving ADHD medication underlines the historical and ongoing failure to recognise ADHD in women and girls”.
“Girls with ADHD are disproportionately missed in schools and too often then face a fight for adult recognition,” he added.
“ADHD patient recognition and assessment in this country is not fit for purpose and requires a systemic overhaul.”
Khadija Mansoorali, paediatric mental health pharmacist at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, said that, in recent years, there has been “greater recognition around ADHD and neurodiversity in general”.
“Information is increasingly accessible, which may help people to recognise some of the signs and symptoms of ADHD. This could be via official health platforms, or even through social media. This could lead to further referrals for assessment, leading to diagnosis.”
Mansoorali added that pharmacists “are in a key position to be able to offer safe and reliable advice to patients and prescribers regarding shortages”.
“We are often aware of the preparations that are available and can offer support to prescribers,” she said.
“Pharmacy teams can also offer support by counselling patients on medication and recognising potential side effects. Pharmacy teams should be skilled in using neuro-affirmative language to provide tailored care that respects each patient’s unique needs.”
The NHS BSA data also show that antidepressant prescriptions continue to rise, with 8.9 million identified patients receiving a prescription in 2024/2025, an increase of 1.6% compared with 2023/2024.
In addition, the number of identified patients prescribed drugs for dementia has risen by 5.4% since 2023/2024 to 326,000 patients. NHS BSA noted that dementia was the only condition for which prescribing was higher in least deprived areas.
