The Never-Ending Adderall Shortage
On October 12, 2022, six months ago next week, the CDC announced a shortage of amphetamine salts, the component that makes Adderall, a medication needed for many with ADHD. The reason shared at the time was because of a rise in prescriptions during the pandemic. Everyone cooped up inside, telehealth appointments, etc. At one point I heard promise that in March 2023 (last month for those of you counting) that the shortage would be coming to a close, that production would be matching demand.
Truthfully, we did not have much issue at first in obtaining our prescriptions. In January we had to switch to another pharmacy where we had success for two months. Then last month when they ran out, our previous pharmacy miraculously had some. This month, however, it hit hard. I managed to find it at yet another pharmacy and when I called our doctor and left a voicemail, the message said it could take up to 72 hours for a response. THREE DAYS! Y’all. Just do that math. It’s Easter weekend. The script could potentially not be called in until Monday. By then I’m sure they’d be out (they only had 70 pills). Then I’d have to start that process all over again. And the whole time, we’re out of Adderall. I was ON MY KNEES praying, tears streaming down my face. G”od, you provide for our needs. Well, this is a need for me right now I need you to provide.” We’ve got a school trip to Dayton, OH coming up soon so this is NOT the month to play around with alternatives!
I’m not here to debate whether my kid should be on medication or not. I’ve done my research. Yes, there are ways to mitigate the symptoms without medication and some people do well. There are also people who legitimately need the medication. Age and brain development matter. I drug my feet too long to put him on and now is not the right time to make that change. I am not here for that discussion.
But what is really ticking me off is the tiny tidbit my husband dropped on me, learned in a tech group he is a part of. He heard that the Adderall shortage is due to a secret drug limit set by the FDA that limits how much of a certain ingredient pharmacies are allowed to get each month. What is that limit? No idea. Pharmacies aren’t allowed to know, because if they knew, they’d find a way to skirt the restriction. The limit was put in place by the DEA as a way to combat the opioid crisis. You can read about it yourself in these articles: Bloomburg, New York Times, NPR. The Bloomburg article is behind a paywall, located in their business section; the New York Times article is not and is written as an opinion piece. Initially, I was extremely angry. I’ve given myself some time to calm down and respond instead of react.
The quick synopsis is that because Adderall and its generic versions are controlled substances, the DEA has limits in place about how much of the controlled ingredient each pharmacy is allowed to have each year, so that production does not go out of control like it did with the opioid crisis. The amount of people with a prescription for Adderall rose drastically during and after the pandemic, but the DEA never allowed the production companies to have increased access to more of the needed controlled ingredient. There is plenty of the ingredient available; it’s just not allowed to be used. The DEA says these companies have not used all of their quotas and should be fine. So where is the problem? I get it - the government is trying to prevent another opioid crisis. But why are our kids the victim while the government and drug companies are pointing fingers at each other?
Our kids should not be suffering. Adults should not be suffering. I should be not suffering. The stress I feel each month when he prescription needs filled is not something I should have to deal with every month. I’ll be honest. When the nurse called, I burst out in tears. They do not usually call me in this situation. But she called, bless sweet Betty. She is the only nurse in the office today. She heard that I had found Adderall in my message and immediately contacted the doctor. The doctor usually takes a day to respond. He responded immediately. I just got the text from the pharmacy that his prescription will be ready at 5:11pm today. I know I have a lot of followers who are not Christian, but I just want to take a minute and focus on this. God answered my prayer. He strung events together to work in a way that it really shouldn’t have. Sweet Betty is my angel, and you better believe I told her that through tears.
What Can We Do?
We can’t do anything if there is an ingredient shortage in making the medication. We can’t do anything if supply just can’t keep up with demand. But we CAN do something IF these articles are true. We can do something when our government has control to make a change. I am contacting my federal senators and representative today and ask them to check in to this. Call them, email them. Let them know that this is affecting our kids in a way maybe they didn’t see. Be kind and direct, but be firm. Let them know this is an issue that needs attention regardless of whether it’s government inflicted or a result of supply and demand. We have seen what they can do with a formula shortage when enough people rally. You don’t have to have a kid directly affected to contact them. Contact them for everyone else who does and is suffering. For the adults who do not have access to their medication.
Below are links to follow to find and contact your senators and representatives.
You can find your SENATORS at this link. Each senator most likely has his/her own website through which you can contact them if you wish to email.
You can find your REPRESENTATIVES at this link. Again, each representative most likely has his/her own website through which you can contact them if you wish to email.
If you live in PA, here are the contact pages for our senators:
My representative is Lloyd Smucker. I encourage you to check who your representative is because they change based on location. But if you know that Rep. Smucker is your representative, his website is linked here.
One final word: it doesn’t matter whether you voted for your representative and senators or not. It doesn’t even matter whether you like them or not. They have been voted into a public service role and their job is to literally listen to their constituents, us. But they will not know what is important if we don’t let them know.
