Adderall shortage continues as patients struggle to fill prescriptions

BALTIMORE — In October, the FDA announced a shortage of "the immediate release formulation of amphetamine mixed salts, commonly referred to by the brand name Adderall." 

The medication is used as treatment for Attention Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder, or ADHD. It has stimulant properties to help children and adults focus, concentrate, and compete day-to-day tasks.

Five months later, we're still dealing with a nationwide Adderall shortage. There was a huge increase in demand during the Covid-19 pandemic, which was exacerbated once telehealth providers were allowed to prescribe it.

"People were suddenly not in their usual environment. They weren't working. They were at home. There were additional different distractions. And there was a huge spike, mainly among adults," says Dr. Yoram Unguru, a pediatric hematologist oncologist at Sinai Hospital. 

Dr. Unguru also cites other factors for the drug shortage. The Drug Enforcement Agency tightly regulates how much Adderall is on the market because of its high abuse potential, meaning there's a limited amount. Additionally, many pharmaceutical industries employ "just in time production," where they make just enough drugs to stock the shelves with limited redundancy.

"So you put one and two and three together, and you have that perfect storm," he says. "The pharmaceutical companies are not required to disclose a reason why there's a shortage. If we don't know why there's a shortage of a medication, having meaningful solutions is difficult. Is it a business decision? Is it a manufacturing and quality control issue? Is it a problem getting the active pharmaceutical ingredients? It could be any of these."

Dr. Unguru says experts believe the shortage will last another couple months. He says if you're having trouble getting Adderall, talk to your doctor about other solutions, possibly behavioral modifications or an alternative medication.