Vyvanse and brand Adderall appear to be the only ADHD drugs that semi-consistently appear in the drug-order every day. These available drugs are typically branded products that are extremely difficult to afford, even if insurance covers some of the cost. They can either choose to wait an indeterminate amount of time for their medication to return to circulation or they can switch to a drug that is still available (for the time being). Their options for available treatments are shrinking and there is no ideal alternative at this moment. This brings us to a unique place in the world of pharmacy.Ĭurrently, patients with ADHD are in a very difficult position. Other patients who were originally on methylphenidate saw their maintenance treatment disappear, thrusting them into a nationwide issue that has no end in sight. While not as widespread, this shortage has proven to be very frustrating for patients, some of whom had already gone without their original medication for some time only to have their substitution go on shortage as well. This provided a band-aid solution for a few months until, sure enough, methylphenidate went on backorder as well. In more recent months, methylphenidate has been prescribed more frequently to serve as a substitution for patients with ADHD having trouble obtaining Adderall. 1 Whether this scarcity is solely a result of increased demand has yet to be determined, but it cannot be discounted that increased demand and supply delays have played a major role in the persistence of the shortage. 2Īdditionally, IQVIA has stated that 2021 showed a 10% increase in Adderall prescriptions compared to 2020. 1 Another hypothesis for the shortage is that the growth of telehealth has led to an exponential increase in demand for ADHD treatment.Īccording to data reviewed by The Washington Post, prescriptions for Adderall increased by more than 30% over the past 5 years and further accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some generic manufacturers, such as Teva, have claimed it is due to a combination of increased demand and manufacturing delays, which have come in the form of labor shortages and supply chain issues.
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