Stimulant Shortages

Since mid-2022, there have been significant shortages of Adderall IR, Adderall XR, Dextroamphetamine IR, Dextroamphetamine ER, Ritalin IR, and Concerta. Most other ADHD stimulant medications have not had significant shortages. However, supply is ever-changing.

Causes of the Ongoing Shortages

Stimulant medication shortages have been a significant concern for over a year now. They can be attributed to a confluence of factors.

Firstly, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a disruption of the global supply chains, affecting the production and distribution of a variety of goods, including pharmaceuticals.

Secondly, there has been an increased demand for these medications. This is due in part to a rise in diagnoses of ADHD among both children and adults due to better diagnosticians, more accurate public awareness of the true symptoms of childhood and adult ADHD, coupled with the heightened stress and disruptions to routines caused by the pandemic, which exacerbated ADHD symptoms for many.

Moreover, regulatory policies from the DEA on controlled substances, which include many ADHD medications, limit how much of these medications can be produced and distributed to each pharmacy within a given timeframe. Because the DEA believed shortages were due to production and distribution challenges from COVID-19, they were slow to adjust the restrictions to take into account the higher number of ADHD diagnoses.

Despite efforts to address the issue, these shortages underscore the need for improved resilience in pharmaceutical supply chains and more appropriate dynamic regulatory measures.

How to Avoid Shortages

Before your ADHD assessment results visit, consider how you feel about medication trials for the treatment of ADHD. Visit our ADHD treatment planning page for more information regarding the risks and benefits.

1. Go on the GoodRx website to see if there is a particular pharmacy that may be cheaper for you just in case your insurance does not cover your initial prescriptions, we do not recommend waiting for a Prior Auth to go through with these initial medication trials since you will not be on them for very long and it may take 1-2 weeks to go through.
2. Call the pharmacy you are considering to ask them if they have Ritalin and or Concerta or Focalin and or Focalin XR on hand as we will typically trial one of these medications first, and due to medication shortages; they may not have a supply.
3. During our ADHD Assessment results visit, you can tell me which pharmacy you have selected for your initial medication trial(s).
4. Call your pharmacy after I send the Rx to them to confirm they have received the Rx and are filling it. All prescriptions will be sent by 7 pm the day of your appointment and are often sent much sooner.

Medication shortages have been very frustrating for my patients. These shortages are much more of an issue while trialing medications because as we transition to more long-acting and often branded medications, there are less shortages. Hang in there!

Navigating a Pharmacy Shortage

If a pharmacy lets you know that they do not have your medication in stock and they estimate more than a week-long delay in getting you your medication, then it may be best to send your medication to a new pharmacy.

If your pharmacy only has one of your medications in stock or is able to fill the majority of your medication, then we recommend you fill that medication because it will be easier to find a pharmacy that has one medication in stock instead of two (even if it means you will have to make a trip to two different pharmacies to pick them up).

Before you send me an email with the address of your new pharmacy, PLEASE call them to make sure they have your medication in stock. We do not want to forward your medication to a pharmacy that does not have it in stock, either.