Patients left without Adderall as national shortage continues

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – It’s been more than a year since the FDA announced a national shortage of a popular medication prescribed to those living with ADHD.

Adderall is a stimulant used for the disorder, but a shortage caused by a combination of reasons have some patients coming up short.

Doctor Vismai Sinha, a physician with Ohio Health, said a looming shortage of popular ADHD medications has caused headaches for both her staff and her patients.

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“Last year I was told by January it’s supposed to be better, by spring it should be better,” Sinha said. “It just keeps getting postponed.”

She said it’s an issue that started during the pandemic. According to the FDA, the first notice for a shortage was issued in October 2022. Since then, the notices from the FDA continued as did the number of prescriptions being written to treat the disorder.

“I think what also happened with the pandemic is there was an increase of mental health concerns,” Sinha said. “People are now saying something’s not right, something feels off.”

Research from earlier this year found prescriptions for ADHD surged during the pandemic, specifically prescriptions for those ages 20-39 years old and women.

“We saw a significant increase in demand with an already limited supply so now our supply is even less, demand is even higher,” Sinha said.

So how do patients navigate the tug and pull? Sinha said to speak with a physician.

“One solution is going to alternative medication so if one medication is not available and we can’t find any doses let’s talk about option B,” Sinha said.  “Let’s try to change to a medication that may be similar to what you’re taking – similar side effects, similar profile and let’s see if that works and find an equivalent dose.”

She also suggests physicians use different dosage combinations to create the dosage a patient needs – such as two 10 milligrams to create a 20 milligram, which could be part of a shortage.

Another idea? Sinha suggests patients check with their insurance or pharmacy to see if a 90-day supply is an option. That will cut back on having to search for a dosage each month.

“We got to work together,” Sinha said. “The patient and the physician need to work together to be able to find a medication that works and find a place that they can get it.”

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