Of 16 ADHD drug manufacturers NBC News contacted, none said they had extra amphetamine to make more ADHD drugs. However, companies aren’t required to share this information.įor as long as the DEA and manufacturers continue their quota miscommunication and misalignment, Ganio said the supply likely can’t increase. The DEA’s amphetamine quota was first reported by Bloomberg. The DEA set its amphetamine quota at 42,400 kilograms (an estimated 93,280 pounds), according to the spokesperson, who also said an estimated 38,000 kilograms (roughly 83,600 pounds) of amphetamine would be needed to meet the demand for ADHD drugs. They requested any leftover amphetamine to be returned to the DEA so it could redistribute it, although the agency can’t legally require the companies to hand it back.Ī DEA spokesperson confirmed to NBC News that, at the end of 2022, ADHD drug manufacturers had at least 34,980 kilograms (approximately 77,000 pounds) left of amphetamine. The numbers are trending similarly for 2023, according to the two agencies. The federal agencies then argued that, in the face of this sharp rise in demand, ADHD drug manufacturers haven’t been making as many of the pills as they could be.Īccording to the DEA and FDA’s letter, the DEA conducted an internal analysis revealing companies used only 70% of their allotted ingredient quota in 2022, which they say could have translated into 1 billion more doses. “Lives could be at stake when people don’t have access to the medications they need to stay focused,” she said. Ever since her teenage son was caught driving 20 miles above the speed limit without his medication, she has worried about the shortage’s safety risks. Didier and four of her five children take medication for ADHD. Jeremy Didier, 52, a licensed clinician in Kansas City, Kansas, said she recently waited on hold for eight hours to ask whether her local Walgreens had Concerta in stock.
For Urgo, who says her disorder makes communication difficult, not having the medication has strained her relationship with her husband and frayed her friendships.
Jessica Urgo, 38, recently drove two hours from her home in Denver to pick up Adderall from a remote pharmacy with only 10 pills left in stock. For many others, not having access to the medications has affected their work, relationships and physical and mental health. For some, the shortage has been an inconvenience. Millions of children and adults in the United States are prescribed ADHD medications, which work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain to improve focus. In late August, the Food and Drug Administration approved several generic versions of Vyvanse for the first time, though it’s too soon to say how that will affect the situation. The whole thing’s a mess.” Why is there a shortage of ADHD medications?Īs of Tuesday, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, a group that represents hospital and clinic pharmacists, reported supply problems affecting 141 different doses or formulations of stimulant ADHD medications. The shortage began with Adderall last fall, but has since had a domino effect, with long- and short-acting versions of methylphenidate (Ritalin and Concerta), as well as Focalin, Vyvanse, and numerous generic equivalents of these drugs now in short supply, too. “Panic is a daily occurrence with my patients. Leila Javidi, a primary care doctor in Gahanna, Ohio, has been fielding several hundred calls and messages each month from patients who say finding a stocked pharmacy becomes a time-consuming, frustrating quest.
“As the kids restart school, we’re going to see the demand for these prescriptions going up.”ĭr. Max Witznitzer, a pediatric neurologist who treats children with ADHD at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital and Case Western Reserve University.
“Let’s just say I’m very concerned,” said Dr. Experts doubt the supply of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication Adderall or other ADHD drugs will increase any time soon, with shortages potentially lasting through the end of the year.
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