Pharmacotherapy for ADHD in adulthood: A review

Abstract

In today's era of evidence-based medicine (EBM), if we take guidelines as the benchmark for the drug therapy of ADHD in adults, little has changed in the past 10 years: Methylphenidate remains the number one and first-line medication. Several promising substances approved in the USA are still used off-label in Germany or are blocked in the approval process. However, there is justified hope that things will change in the coming years. Up to 80% of people with ADHD have comorbidities in both the mental and physical domains. For these reasons, it is helpful if new substances can treat "two birds with one stone," for example, ADHD and social phobia or ADHD and comorbid alcohol abuse with atomoxetine. Expanding the pharmacological arsenal is also urgently needed because, thanks to the internet and chat rooms, people with ADHD are seeking and demanding tailored solutions for themselves, regardless of EBM guidelines. Integrating drug treatment into a multimodal approach is the current gold standard.