CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Champaign County pharmacists say they are experiencing a shortage on certain prescriptions.
Pharmacists like Andy Hudson and Chris Bennett cited Adderall and Ozempic as two drugs in high demand.
“We use those drugs regularly,” Bennett said. “Or should I say we distribute them. We use them so often that we have had to reorder them and a situation has arisen where they are not available.”
“The government only allows a limited amount of raw materials to be manufactured or brought in each year,” Hudson said. “Once we see that amount, we start to see shortages of various controlled substances.”
The two drugs are used in different ways. Adderall usually helps people with her ADHD stay focused. Ozempic is used for diabetics. The FDA notified us of the Adderall shortage last October. The Ozempic shortage has become even more serious this year.
“It started to get really ugly. And people were shopping at pharmacies, when they were actually just looking for a pharmacy that had the drug they were looking for,” Bennett said. .
Hudson said Adderall is now popular because so many people use it.
“The demand for Adderall is increasing because more adults are taking it. It used to be mostly for kids. But now there are a lot of adults who also need it for attention deficit disorder. “I am,” he said.
Due to shortages, pharmacists say they are only able to fill a limited number of prescriptions at one time.
“And, you know, there are still some niche doses that are a little harder to get,” Bennett said.
Doctors have not said how long, but they believe it won't last long.
“It's really a haphazard type of thing,” Bennett said. “But overall, I would say some of these shortages are starting to disappear.”
Pharmacists say such shortages have occurred before. They encourage patients to contact various pharmacies to see if their medication is available.
