The United States continues to grapple with shortages of medicines like Adderall.
Prescription of drugs for treatment attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHDhas surged during the coronavirus pandemic, lack of medicine New research shows that it continues to this day.
Research shows prescriptions for ADHD medications have surged more than 14% in the two years since the pandemic began in March 2020 Published in JAMA Psychiatry on Wednesday.
The study, led by researchers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, found that there were nearly 6 million new prescriptions for stimulants in the first two years of the pandemic, an increase of about 700,000 over the previous two years.
Data show that the surge in prescriptions was driven by an increase in prescriptions for ADHD, especially among young adults and women.
ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, is usually diagnosed in childhood and persists into adulthood. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms of this disorder include difficulty paying attention, impulsive behavior, daydreaming, talking or fidgeting frequently, difficulty getting along with others, and generally forgetting or losing things. This includes things like:
of CDC estimates Approximately 6 million children (about 10%) between the ages of 3 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, and that number is likely to increase since 2019.
This condition cannot be cured, but it can be successfully managed with treatments such as medication and therapy.
As prescriptions for ADHD drugs increase, FDA declares national shortage in 2022 An immediate-release formulation of mixed amphetamine salts, commonly referred to by the trade name Adderall.
Adderall is a stimulant that can treat ADHD. A prescription is required, and as a controlled substance, supply is closely monitored and distribution is restricted.
In a statement released Thursday, an FDA spokesperson told ABC News that some manufacturers of ADHD drugs continue to have “supply issues,” but “9 manufacturers It is currently in stock and “additional supply is expected to return in the coming months.”
“For Adderall, the current shortage was first reported on October 12, 2022 and began with delays from the manufacturer, which have since been resolved and are now demand-driven,” the spokesperson said. . “Manufacturers are working to meet demand, and the FDA is helping us do everything we can to increase supply. Supply is increasing and FDA continues to provide assistance.”
FDA advises consumers to work with their health care provider to determine the best treatment options.
Adderall is a controlled substance, so its production is restricted by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
However, only about 70% of the allocated quota was sold in 2022, according to a joint statement released earlier by the DEA and FDA. This equates to 1 billion doses that could have been manufactured but were never manufactured or shipped.
Both government agencies had previously called on manufacturers to ramp up production to meet allocated quotas.
Teva is the largest manufacturer of generic and brand name Adderall in the United States. he told ABC News last March. The company said at the time that it was not experiencing any manufacturing issues or stockouts, but “there remains unprecedented demand, which may result in intermittent delays for some pharmacies and patients.”
