Ryan Quinlan ’14
The US is currently experiencing a shortage of Adderall, a prescription drug used to treat ADHD, due to uneven distribution, a general increase in demand, and a shortage of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). Both forms of Adderall, instant release (IR) and extended release (XR), are currently experiencing shortages. The extended release version of Adderall is only approved for ADHD, while the instant release version is also approved for use with narcolepsy, defined by the U.S. Nation Library of Medicine, as “…a sleep disorder that causes excessive sleepiness and frequent daytime sleep attacks.” According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), both the IR and XR forms of Adderall are currently in short supply. The Drug Enforcement Agency emphasizes the problem of distribution rather than a real shortage because “while prescription users may have trouble finding Adderall at the local pharmacy, the drug is widely available illegally, especially in high schools and in colleges.” Additionally, in recent years the demand for Adderall has increased greatly. Currently, approximately 15 million people are prescribed Adderall and, according to Fox News, in 2010, Adderall along with other amphetamines, such a Ritalin, were prescribed a total of 24.2 million times. In order to cope with this shortage, many people who were diagnosed with ADHD have switched to a generic version of these medications. However, many of the cheaper, generic brands are not as effective. In a recent interview on NPR, one woman who has been using Adderall for years said, “There are a lot more difficult side effects [from the generic medication] than Adderall. I had been taking Adderall for over a decade and found it was very consistent … I found a good balance that had been working for me for years. But [my new brand] is painful on your stomach. It gives me really bad headaches. And it’s not nearly as effective.” The FDA has not released any additional information about when the Adderall shortage will end and, as a result, the millions of Americans prescribed to Adderall will have to find alternative methods for coping with their ADHD.