“We currently have no Adderall products in stock due to a nationwide shortage of product.
We have not been provided a date to when it will be in stock.
Thank you for calling Medicap Pharmacy…”
This is part of the recorded phone introduction a person hears when they call Medicap Pharmacy in Greenfield, Indiana.
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Last year, the Federal Drug Administration said the main manufacturer of Adderall – a medication used to help treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) – cited manufacturing delays, supply chain issues and labor shortages as contributing to the large shortage of the drug.
“It is tentatively getting better. I have even recently seen the generic Vyvanse, which is a different ADHD medication,” said Dr. Riley Warner with Medicap Pharmacy.
While other companies also produce the medication, none have been able to keep up with demand.
Warner said even before the pandemic a shortage of Adderall had been occurring over the years with slight shortages. A recent increase in ADHD diagnoses has further exacerbated this issue but is not the main cause of the shortage.
“I have had patients whose kids that go without their ADHD medication screaming in the car. For some patients, it’s mild, and for others, there are more emotional stability and productivity effects,” said Warner.
“There was one patient who was inconsolably crying because he had to change his medications. ADHD can really affect working and school relationships.”
ADHD medication shortage
Sheri Davis was recently diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and prescribed Ritalin, another medication used to treat ADHD.
Both medications have similar effects on the brain, but Ritalin tends to work quicker than Adderall, which stays in the system longer.
“I haven’t had an issue yet, but my pharmacist did suggest that on the next refill, to get a 90-day supply just in case for other medications I take alongside my ADHD meds. Since Ritalin is a controlled drug, I actually can’t get a 90-day supply,” said Davis.
“A friend of mine has a son who is on Adderall, and he went like four months with nothing because of the shortage.”
Melody Bird is another ADHD patient who said that she feels like she is jumping through hoops to get her Adderall prescription filled.
“I’ve only been on medication for three months, and every time I have to get a refill, it’s a problem. The first time it was out of stock, which I get because of the shortage. The second time I tried being proactive and getting a refill when I had 5 pills left,” said Bird.
“They said I had to wait until I was down to two pills, which [at that time] the pharmacy was out of stock again, so I missed two days. I need the medicine to focus.”
Warner wants ADHD patients to speak up for themselves and be ahead of their medication so they know what is going on with it.
“Be advocates for yourself. Make sure you work with your doctor’s office and your pharmacy because prescriptions can’t be transferred between pharmacies,” said Warner.
Contact staff writer Jade Jackson at (317) 762-7853 or by email JadeJ@IndyRecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON
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