The Adderall shortage is expected to continue during 2012. Adderall, which is the most commonly prescribed drug used to treat ADHD, has become increasingly harder to find as demand increases. Adderall is a controlled substance and is therefore regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. When a drug is on the controlled substance list the DEA monitors the amount of active ingredient that is sold to manufacturers. This is intended to prevent misuse of the drug.
Adderall is used by millions of people each year, with a large majority of users being college students. According to IMS Health, in 2010 more than 18 million prescriptions were issued for the drug which is almost a 14% increase from the previous year. Many doctors and users alike are worried that in the coming months this drug may become extremely hard to find. Not to mention it takes several months for the active ingredient to be converted to Adderall, so that will delay things even further.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most common disorders among children and young adults. According to the Center for Disease Control on average 9% of kids between five and 17 are diagnosed with this disorder every year. Symptoms of ADHD may include trouble focusing, general hyper activity, and impulsive behavior.
What Caused the Adderall Shortage?
There are several companies in the US that manufacture Adderall. Generic versions of the drug are sold by Teva Pharmaceutical and Impax Laboratories. Shire Plc is responsible for making and selling Adderall XR (Extended Release). Doctors and speculators are unsure what the future holds for the Adderall shortage and only time will tell just how bad the shortage will get. Hopefully the government agencies will step in and release more of the active ingredient before things get too bad off. President Obama has recently issued an executive order demanding that the FDA take a look into these drug shortages, which are mostly having effect on generic drug manufacturers. The DEA is responsible for setting quota levels by looking at past sales data, inventory, and upcoming sales outlook. However they do not take into account a company’s needs and sometimes can be off on their estimates.
In some larger cities Adderall has become harder to find, with users traveling to several different pharmacies before they are able to track some down. This was especially the case in 2010 when there was a major shortage of Adderall XR. As users increase it is up to the DEA to make an accurate assessment of just how much Adderall will be needed.