ADHD New Zealand says some people who have been prescribed medication for ADHD are finding it difficult to access their medication regularly amid global shortages.
photograph: 123RF
People with ADHD have been warned not to share their medication as the country is affected by global shortages.
ADHD New Zealand spokesperson Darrin Bull said some people had to choose the days they took their medication to make their prescription last longer.
Some people were asking others to lend them their medicine, but this needs to stop, he said.
A global shortage of methylphenidate, which is prescribed under the brand names Ritalin, Concerta, and Teva, has been ongoing for more than a year.
And Mr Bull said some New Zealanders who couldn’t get the medicine had expressed panic.
“ADHD medications have a purpose, and without them people suffer, and they do,” Bull said.
“Some of the questions were whether they would try alternatives. Certainly on our social media sites, some people in our community were asking, ‘Can someone lend me some medication?’ I’m asking.
ADHD is estimated to affect more than 250,000 New Zealanders, and a recent study found a tenfold increase in the amount of ADHD medication prescribed between 2006 and 2022. However, it is thought that only about 20% of people with ADHD receive treatment.
medsafe warn It is illegal to sell or give away prescription drugs over the internet or social media, and it is also illegal to purchase or possess prescription drugs.
Dr. Bull recommends that people who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder talk to their GP or pharmacist, or instead find a non-medical alternative, such as an ADHD coach.
ADHD New Zealander said drug alternatives Includes support group discussions and advice, acupuncture, brain gym, counseling, diet, therapy, occupational therapy and more.
The shortage is expected to last until mid-2025.
read more:
Funding begins for new treatments
Funding has been expanded to include additional ADHD medications.
Lisdexamfetamine (known under the trade name Vyvanse) is now available in New Zealand as a private non-funded alternative to methylphenidate. From 2023 onwardsand national drug purchasing agent Pharmac. started giving subsidies December 1st.
The company hopes this alternative drug will alleviate supply pressure on other ADHD drugs.
Pharmac noted that some users who were already purchasing lisdexamfetamine privately had previously reported supply issues, but it is now publicly funded and suppliers said it needed to “hold a certain amount of stock in New Zealand to minimize the risk of supply issues”.
But Mr Bull said ADHD New Zealand did not believe funding for lisdexamfetamine would help immediately solve the current drug shortage.
Lisdexamfetamine must be prescribed by a psychiatrist, and “for adults, the waiting list to see a psychiatrist is very long; [there’s] It costs a lot to make it private,” he said.
Pharmac said it expects the new drug to benefit more than 6,000 people with ADHD in the first year of funding and approximately 13,000 people in five years.
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