Methylphenidate Hcl
Brand names: Methylphenidate Hcl, Methylphenidate Hcl Er (Cd), Quillichew Er, Ritalin La, Aptensio Xr, Concerta, Jornay Pm, Methylphenidate Er, Methylphenidate Er (La), Methylphenidate Hcl Cd, Quillivant Xr, Relexxii, Ritalin
Part of: ADHD stimulants
At a glance
- Medicare prescriptions, 2024
- 531,367
- Medicare drug cost
- $26.2M
- Average cost per prescription
- $49.36
- Clinicians who prescribed it
- 22,710
Where it is prescribed
List the prescribers in any state, county, city or ZIP code →
What it is used for
Attention Deficit Disorders, Narcolepsy Attention Deficit Disorders (previously known as Minimal Brain Dysfunction in Children). Other terms being used to describe the behavioral syndrome below include: Hyperkinetic Child Syndrome, Minimal Brain Damage, Minimal Cerebral Dysfunction, Minor Cerebral Dysfunction. Methylphenidate hcl oral solution is indicated as an integral part of a total treatment program which typically includes other remedial measures (psychological, educational, social) for a stabilizing effect in children with a behavioral syndrome characterized by the following group of developmentally inappropriate symptoms: moderate-to-severe distractibility, short attention span, hyperactivity, emotional lability, and impulsivity. The diagnosis of this syndrome should not be made with finality when these symptoms are only of comparatively recent origin. Nonlocalizing (soft) neurological signs, learning disability, and abnormal EEG may or may not be present, and a diagnosis of central nervous system dysfunction may or may not be warranted. Special Diagnostic Considerations Specific etiology of this syndrome is unknown, and there is no single diagnostic test. Adequate diagnosis requires the use not only of medical but of special psychological, educational, and social resources. Characteristics commonly reported include: chronic history of short attention span,…
From the FDA-approved prescribing information (label dated April 2020). Full labels on DailyMed (opens in a new tab)
Who prescribes it
- Psychiatry 33.6%
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners 15.4%
- Family Medicine 15.1%
- Internal Medicine 8.9%
- Nurse Practitioners 8.3%
- Physician Assistants 4.8%
- Neurology 4.7%
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2.6%
- Pulmonology 1.1%
- Sleep Medicine 0.9%
- Hospice & Palliative Medicine 0.7%
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) 0.6%
All prescribers, by place, name or specialty →
Share of Medicare prescriptions written by each specialty. Select one to list its prescribers.
Trend, 2019–2024
Medicare prescriptions rose 5% from 2019 to 2024.
Biggest change by state since 2019
- New Hampshire +19%
- Rhode Island +14%
- Kentucky +13%
- New York +13%
- Iowa +13%
- Alabama (smallest change) −11%
- Vermont (smallest change) −10%
From CMS’s yearly state and national Part D summaries, which count every prescriber, including those CMS leaves out of its per-clinician data (fewer than 11 prescriptions). That is why these totals are higher than the count at the top of this page. Prescriptions include refills.
Industry payments about this drug
Drug makers reported $1.9M in payments to clinicians that named this drug in 2025 (meals, speaking, consulting and similar).
- Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc. $1.5M
- Tris Pharma Inc $266,004
- Vertical Pharmaceuticals, LLC $80,900
- Avion Pharmaceuticals $115
Source: CMS Open Payments, general payments (not research), program year 2025. A payment is not evidence of wrongdoing. Payments by doctor
Recalls and shortages
Not on the FDA drug shortage list.
No FDA-reported recalls since 2020.
Sources: CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers by Provider and Drug (2024; prescriptions include refills, and CMS hides counts under 11 per prescriber); U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA (drug labels, NDC directory, enforcement reports, drug shortages); CMS Open Payments 2025; ClinicalTrials.gov. General information only, not medical advice; not yet reviewed by our medical reviewer.