FDA announces Adderall shortage

Adderall shortage overview: 

• Who: There is a shortage of the drugs Adderall and Adderall IR, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced. 
• Why: Drug manufacturer Teva is having ongoing intermittent manufacturing delays that have led to the shortage, the FDA says.
• Where: The Adderall shortage impacts the supply across the United States.

There is a shortage of the drugs Adderall and Adderall IR in the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced. The drug is a formulation of amphetamine mixed salts.

The shortage comes as drug manufacturer Teva is having ongoing intermittent manufacturing delays, the FDA said.

“Other manufacturers continue to produce amphetamine mixed salts, but there is not sufficient supply to continue to meet U.S. market demand through those producers,” the FDA said in its notice.

Adderall is most commonly used to treat both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, the FDA said. 

Until the supply is back to normal, the FDA recommends that those who regularly take the drug consult with a health-care professional to find the best alternative treatment option. That includes the option of using the extended-release version of Adderall. 

Adderall shortage comes after Aug. 1 notice of ADHD stimulant medication shortage

The Adderall shortage notification comes after the FDA issued notice on Aug. 1 that there had been an overall shortage of stimulant medications to treat ADHD.

“The FDA and DEA do not manufacture drugs and cannot require a pharmaceutical company to make a drug, make more of a drug, or change the distribution of a drug,” the FDA said then. “That said, we are working closely with numerous manufacturers, agencies, and others in the supply chain to understand, prevent, and reduce the impact of these shortages.”

Stimulant prescription medications rose 45.5% in use between 2012 and 2021, the FDA said. 

During 2020 and 2021, in fact, there was a spike in prescriptions of 10% in some age groups as virtual prescribing became more common and accepted, the FDA said.

The FDA then asked that manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies and payers to work together to maintain access to stimulant medications when the drugs are appropriately prescribed.

In 2016, the manufacturer of Adderall XR agreed to pay $14.75 million to resolve allegations that the company intentionally delayed the availability of a generic version of the medication.

Are you impacted by the Adderall shortage? Let us know in the comments.

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