The US continues to experience shortages of drugs like Adderall.
Prescriptions for drugs Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHDDuring the corona virus epidemic, it spread to A Lack of medicine New studies show that it continues to this day.
In March 2020, prescriptions for ADHD drugs jumped more than 14 percent in the two years since the epidemic began, according to one study. It was published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry.
The study, led by U.S. Food and Drug Administration researchers, found that nearly 6 million new stimulant medications were prescribed in the first two years of the outbreak, up from about 700,000 two years earlier.
Evidence suggests that the increase in prescriptions is due to an increase in ADHD prescriptions, particularly among youth and women.
ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, is typically diagnosed in childhood and persists into adulthood; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms of the disorder include difficulty paying attention, impulsive behavior, daydreaming, frequent talking and arguing, difficulty communicating with others, and forgetting or losing things.
of CDC estimates About 6 million children between the ages of 3 and 17 — roughly 10% — are diagnosed with ADHD, and these numbers have increased since 2019.
The disease cannot be cured but can be successfully treated with treatments such as medication or therapy.
Amid an increase in prescriptions for ADHD medications, In 2015, the FDA It has declared a nationwide shortage by 2022. Immediate-release compound salts of amphetamine, commonly known by the brand name Adderall.
Adderall is a stimulant medication used to treat ADHD. It requires a prescription, and as a controlled substance, supply is strictly controlled and distribution is limited.
In a statement Thursday, an FDA spokesperson told ABC News that some ADHD drug manufacturers continue to have “supply issues.”Nine manufacturers With availability” currently and “there will be additional supply coming back in the coming months.”
“In the case of Adderall, the current shortage was first posted on October 12, 2022, and began with a delay from one manufacturer, which has since been resolved and is now based on demand,” the spokesperson said. “Manufacturers are working to meet the demand, and the FDA is helping with anything we can do to increase supply. The supply is increasing and the FDA continues to provide assistance.”
The FDA recommends that consumers work with their health care providers to determine their best treatment options.
Because Adderall is a controlled substance, it is restricted by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
However, only about 70% of the 2022 quota has been sold, according to a joint statement by the DEA and the FDA. This equates to 1 billion doses that could have been produced but were not processed or shipped.
The two agencies have previously asked producers to increase production to meet the quota.
Teva, the largest generic and brand name Adderall in the US; He told ABC last March. Although the company is not experiencing manufacturing problems or shortages at the time, “it is still seeing unprecedented demand, which may cause permanent delays for some pharmacies or patients.”