Adderall Shortage Likely to Continue Through 2012

Here's a disheartening headline from the Reuters news service:  "Shortage of ADHD drug Adderall seen persisting in 2012." 

As I have written before, the Adderall shortage dates back at least to August and perhaps earlier.  I discovered it while trying to fill a prescription.  Several weeks later, I was still wondering what had changed to create this scarcity of a commonly used drug.  What changed, apparently, was the demand for Adderall.

Adderall is one of the top selling medications for dealing with ADHD.  The Reuters report indicates that more than 18 million prescriptions for Adderall were written in 2010, a 13 percent increase from 2009.  And sales of all ADHD medications have ballooned by 83 percent since 2006.

Meanwhile, the federal government keeps tight control over the drug's active ingredient, amphetamine salts, to prevent Adderall abuse.  So while demand for Adderall has increased, the amount available remains the same.

The New York Times reports the Drug Enforcement Agency analyzes drug demand every year and can change the amount of active ingredients they allot to drug makers.  Drug makers, in turn, must decide how to divide up their quota among their ADHD medications, from pricey name brands to generic versions.  So creating, and ending, the Adderall shortfall involves more than one variable.

If you're having a hard time filling a prescription for ADHD medication, contact your doctor to learn about other medication options.

Links:
http://news.yahoo.com/insight-shortage-adhd-drug-adderall-seen-persisting-2012-151543814.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/health/policy/fda-is-finding-attention-drugs-in-short-supply.html