Adderall shortage: What parents and patients need to know
NEW YORK -- While doctors believed the recent shortage of Adderall would ease this fall, patients are still experiencing a shortfall.
Dr. Nidhi Kumar is on call Monday with important information about how people should manage until the shortage eases next year.
Millions of people diagnosed with ADHD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, take Adderall to help them focus and concentrate.
In the meantime, Dr. Kumar says they should speak with their doctors about alternative drugs, including Ritalin, Concerta and Strattera.
Amid the shortage, Dr. Kumar also says parents should:
- Watch for academic and social struggles
- Contact teachers and coaches
- Make healthy choices
In a statement, the FDA said:
The FDA recognizes the potential impact that reduced availability of certain products may have on health care providers and patients. While the agency does not manufacturer drugs and cannot require a pharmaceutical company to make a drug, make more of a drug, or change the distribution of a drug, the public should rest assured the FDA is working closely with numerous manufacturers and others in the supply chain to understand, mitigate and prevent or reduce the impact of intermittent or reduced availability of certain products. The FDA understands that manufacturers expect availability to continue to increase in the near future.
Watch Dr. Kumar's full interview above for more information.