Contrary labelling advice on ADHD

Two committees, two different decisions on warning labels for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs. An advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration has recommended contrary labeling instructions, with the Pediatric Advisory Committee suggesting that "black box" warnings about cardiovascular or psychiatric risks would not be necessary. Meanwhile, the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee suggested the opposite.

Explaining the discrepency between the two FDA advisory bodies' recommendations, Robert Nelson, chairman of the pediatric committee said: "this meeting was about children, not adults. The efficacity of ADHD drugs in children is quite strong."

Meanwhile, in the UK, the government's advisory body on clinical practice, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), issued updated guidance on drug treatments for ADHD in children and adolescents. In the detailed guidelines for medical professionals, the NICE guidance refers to the possibility of adverse effects including high blood pressure.