Nationwide shortage of Adderall plagues pharmacies

Abigail Adcox

October 29, 07:13 AM October 29, 07:13 AM

A nationwide shortage of Adderall has pharmacies reporting difficulties keeping the medication in stock, leaving some people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder scrambling to fill their prescriptions.

Two of the largest pharmaceutical chains, CVS and Walgreens, reported that they are seeing "intermittent" supply shortfalls after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration first acknowledged the national shortage earlier this month. The notice came two months after Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the largest U.S. supplier of Adderall, first said it was experiencing supply disruptions that could lead into 2023.

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"We’re aware of intermittent shortages of amphetamine in the supply chain and our pharmacists will work with patients who are prescribed this medication as needed," CVS Health spokesman Matt Blanchette told the Washington Examiner.

Amphetamine and dextroamphetamine are the two drugs in Adderall, which is prescribed commonly to people with ADHD to improve focus and reduce impulsive behaviors.

Walgreens said it is having similar issues and is working with its suppliers to "help meet patient demand." Over half of community pharmacies surveyed in August also reported trouble purchasing Adderall, according to a report by the National Community Pharmacists Association.

Alongside Teva, SpecGx, Epic Pharma, and Rhodes Pharmaceuticals have also reported several doses of brand and generic versions on backorder.

Expected supply recovery times vary by manufacturer. Teva's 10 mg dosage of Adderall is scheduled to rebound in October, though supplies of its generic brand offerings aren't expected to recover until at least the end of the year, according to an FDA database. SpecGx said that there will be "supply constraints" through January 2023.

While there have been shortages of Adderall before, including a national one reported by the FDA in 2019, the current shortfalls are exacerbated by an increase in demand for the medication as diagnoses for ADHD steadily climb. The number of children aged 4 to 17 diagnosed with ADHD increased by 42% between 2003 and 2011, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

In 2021, prescriptions for amphetamine/dextroamphetamine rose by 15.1% from 2020 for patients 22 to 44 years old, according to data from Trilliant Health.

Since amphetamine and dextroamphetamine are considered controlled substances, production of it is highly regulated by the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration uses a strict quota system to control supply, limiting manufacturers' production of Adderall. The agency is also not expected to raise the quota in 2023 due to concerns over the abuse of medications.

"Drug companies have to request certain quantities of the raw materials every year and it has to be approved by the DEA. We've had other years in the past where, as we get towards this time of year — the end of October, November, December — companies don't have the raw material anymore and can't provide the product," Dr. Max Wiznitzer, co-chairman of the Professional Advisory Board for CHADD, an ADHD non-profit organization, told TODAY parents.

The FDA has encouraged patients affected by the Adderall shortage to work with their healthcare providers to determine the best treatment option, such as switching medications.