Republished July 31, 2024
A kindergarten student was wearing a Daytrana (methylphenidate) patch on his skin when he arrived at school. Daytrana is a medicine used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition that makes it hard for children to control their behavior and/or pay attention.
The medicine on the patch is gradually absorbed through the skin.
During the school day, the child removed his patch and said to another child, "Would you like to wear my special Band-Aid?" He then put the patch on the other child. Fortunately, a teacher noticed the patch on the other child before too much of the medicine was absorbed.
Daytrana has certain government controls in place because it can be misused. A Consumer Medication Guide that comes with the medicine warns that selling or giving the patches away is illegal and may harm others. Unfortunately, the Guide does not tell parents to warn their children that the patch can only be applied to them, one at a time, and should never be shared with others.
Parents with children who are using Daytrana patches should never refer to the patch as a special Band-Aid, sticker, or tattoo. Believing the patch is a Band-Aid, sticker, or tattoo may signal that it is all right to put the patch on others. Parents should also alert the school if a child is wearing a medicine patch. The teacher or school nurse might not be putting the patch on the child during the school day, but they should be aware of its use so they can stay alert to the dangerous possibility of sharing the patch with others.
