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How to handle the shortages of Adderall and other ADHD medications

The shortage comes because each year during the pandemic there was an increase in ADHD diagnoses in children, adolescents, and adults.

METAIRIE, La. — For months now, you may have had a difficult time getting prescription medications for ADHD.

So, here’s what's going on and what you should do and not do.

The shelves at Majoria Drugs pharmacy are sparse where stimulant medications sit for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

“Customers we've had for 10 years plus coming in for their ADHD drug, and we just don't have them. We order them every day. Sometimes they show up, sometimes they don't, and it's very frustrating,” said Al Spitale, a pharmacist at Majoria Drugs.

And the several months-long shortage spans different brands.

“All the substitutes fall into the same class, same category, and we can't get Vyvanse. We can't get Adderall. We can get Focalin,” Spitale added.

So what's going on? Psychiatrist Dr. Mark Sands says the FDA regulates how much pharmaceutical companies are allowed to make each year, and that's only 10 percent more than the year before.

The shortage comes because each year during the pandemic there was an increase in ADHD diagnoses in children, adolescents, and adults. So, there was an increase in prescriptions written.

“It's a Genetic disorder, and if the structure's taken away from you now, if you lose the structure of school, if you lose the structure of your workplace, all of a sudden it's harder to function,”  said Dr. Mark Sands, who is in private practice in Metairie.

People with mild, or moderate conditions, who were able to function before, now have more distractions. He said without the medication they are more at risk for car wrecks, and making risky decisions in social settings.

The pharmacist reminds us that a lot of these medications are time released.  So, you should never split a capsule, or split a tablet, unless your doctor has told you what to do, and how to do it.

So, what should you do?

“If they can't get their long-acting, they can move to a short-acting (medication). If they can't find an amphetamine-type of compound, they can move to methylphenidate,” said Dr. Sands.

And above all, don't just stop taking your medication. Dr. Sands says conditions like learning disabilities and anxiety, can look like ADHD.

So, the correct diagnosis should not be made at school, but rather with a specific evaluation designed by the American Academy of Pediatrics given in your doctor's office.

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