I see some grades going down and some folks in withdrawal. Of course there is always Ritalin but that is second choice. I feel for the small minority that needs this drug.

Here is the story:
Demand for the ADHD medication has surged since 2020, when the government made it easier to get through telehealth appointments; agency recommends patients try alternative treatments

The FDA confirmed a shortage of Adderall, which is used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.



The Food and Drug Administration confirmed a shortage of Adderall and generic versions of the drug, saying patients could use alternative treatments until supply issues are resolved.

The FDA this week said what patients, manufacturers and retailers have been signaling for months: that patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are having trouble obtaining the medications that can help them focus.

The agency said it was working with U.S. manufacturers of the drugs and offering assistance as needed to resolve the shortage. The FDA specifically cited Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., saying the largest supplier of Adderall in the U.S. was dealing with ongoing manufacturing delays.

Teva said last month that a labor shortage on its packaging line earlier this year disrupted production. The company said Friday that growing Adderall demand and manufacturing quotas from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had also slowed production.

“We are fully committed to uninterrupted supply and continuing to manufacture and distribute as much product as possible each day,” said Kelley Dougherty, a Teva spokeswoman. She added that the company expected to recover its inventory of branded and generic versions in the coming months but there could be back-orders in the meantime.

Demand for the medication has risen during the coronavirus pandemic since it became easier to obtain prescriptions for Adderall and other so-called schedule 2 controlled substances. The federal government loosened rules in 2020 so people could be prescribed the substances at a telehealth appointment instead of at an in-person visit.

Nearly two-thirds of community pharmacies reported they had trouble getting Adderall during a survey in July and August, according to the National Community Pharmacists Association.

Adderall is made of mixed amphetamine salts that help patients control ADHD symptoms like difficulty focusing or remaining still, according to the National Institutes of Health. The drug can also be used to treat the sleep disorder narcolepsy, according to the FDA.

If patients can’t obtain ADHD medications, the FDA recommends they try an alternative therapy such as long-lasting Adderall that can be taken in fewer doses.

“We continue to use all the tools we have available to help keep supply available for patients,” the FDA said on Wednesday. The agency confirmed the short supply after saying last month that it wasn’t declaring a shortage but was monitoring the country’s supply of ADHD medications.

Cerebral Inc. and other telehealth startups have faced scrutiny in recent months over prescription practices for Adderall and other stimulants. The Wall Street Journal reported that some pharmacies hadn’t filled some prescriptions from Cerebral because they were concerned the company was writing too many stimulant prescriptions.

The company’s practices are now under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department. Cerebral has said it is cooperating with the investigations and has stopped prescribing most controlled substances, including Adderall, to new patients.

Even as demand has surged for ADHD medications, the DEA has maintained strict production quotas, meaning drugmakers have struggled to keep up as demand outstripped supply.

The DEA doesn’t plan to increase the quotas next year, an agency spokeswoman said Friday. The agency said it was concerned about young adults abusing ADHD medications.

Other companies that manufacture Adderall and generic versions of the drug include Rhodes Pharmaceuticals LP and Sandoz Inc., a division of Novartis AG. Rhodes, a subsidiary of Purdue Pharma LP, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

A Sandoz spokeswoman said Friday that the company didn’t have a shortage of generic Adderall and the FDA frequently asked for supply updates.

Write to Alyssa Lukpat at alyssa.lukpat@wsj.com

link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/f...64?mod=hp_lista_pos3

Our daughter was on Focalin from a specific mfg. The other available had adverse behavioral effects.

It got to where only the adverse mfg was available, called 15 pharmacies & no one had the one we needed.
We were able to wean her off of it completely, luckily. Been doing great since.

Definitely feel for those that truly need it & can't get it.

Purdue Pharma still exists? I thought they folded after getting sued for all the Oxy stuff

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yep. The Sacklers still have some money left as well. They should be incarcerated. They settled for 6 billion for building an Empire of Pain because of Oxycontin.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
They should be incarcerated.

For making a product that people bought.

I'm sorry, but I'm not on board with the vilifying of that family. Could they have done thing differently? Sure. Were they less than ethical? Sure. But, if we're honest with ourselves, we'll admit that the end users are to blame for the "opioid crisis".

We don't blame Colt or Bushmaster for mass shootings. Nor should we blame the Sacklers or Purdue for opioid deaths.

Yup, what he said. As for shortages I always read the premise was that it was over prescribed anyway. Yawn.

Well Gus that is not the consensus. It was sold as a NONADDICTIVE pain reliever. There is a difference. I think the subsequent convictions of many "pain doctors" by the judicial system speaks for itself. You do have a rather minority opinion on the matter.
Drug pushers with an MD, the worst kind.

Yep, there's always someone else to blame isn't there? It's never "me".

If only the Sacklers hadn't made Oxycontin, I wouldn't have gotten addicted.

Do you see how ridiculous that line of thought is?

No, they are not to blame...I don't give a damn what the "consensus" is. The end user is to blame. Just like Budweiser is not to blame for alcoholism, the Sacklers are not to blame for the opioid addiction problem.

It ain't rocket surgery.

Your knowledge of addiction is appalling. You should know better working in the medical field. Your doctor tells you this medicine will stop your pain and is not addicting. That is all I have to say on the matter.

They didn't get in trouble for making an addictive drug. There are lots of addictive prescription drugs and the companies that make them don't get in trouble for that.

They got in trouble for knowingly and aggressively lying to the public and prescribing doctors about the addiction potential of the drug and the appropriate conditions for its use.

Regardless of where you assign the ultimate blame for any individual's drug abuse, saying Purdue and its executives shouldn't face any liability for perpetrating massive, harmful fraud is taking "caveat emptor" a little far.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
That is all I have to say on the matter.

Throw out some accusations, take your ball and go home. OK.

And by the way, I have a deep and intimate relationship with, and knowledge of, addiction. I know it very well and it knows me. That does not change the fact that the addict is the problem here, not the substance.

Argue it all you want. You're wrong.