TAMPA, Fla. — A shortage of ADHD medication is leaving some parents in limbo and wondering if they are going to have the pills needed to help their children and loved ones.
Experts said shortages of medications aren't rare, but the shortage of ADHD medications is in a category of its own.
Jessica McBride is one of many parents who is in medication limbo.
Her 6-year-old daughter, Iayana, was diagnosed with a severe case of ADHD, and they were finally able to find a good prescription fit last fall.
"Within about a week of being on it, she was finally able to memorize her — cite words that she had been working on for months. She was finally able — her brain was able to slow down enough to focus," McBride said.
However, that changed when McBride couldn't find a pharmacy to refill her daughter's prescription.
"This last time I had called, they had told me that they couldn't even take the script. That when they tried to order more through their system, it just brought up zero," McBride said.
She's not alone. She's heard of parents who drove three hours one way just to get a refill.
Michael Ganio is the Senior Director of Pharmacy Practice and Quality with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
He said to date, there are more than three hundred drug shortages in the United States.
In response to the shortage of ADHD medication, he said that has been ongoing for about a year.
"This is a really, really difficult shortage, and a lot of patients require this medication just to function on a daily basis," Ganio said.
Initially, according to Ganio, the shortage of ADHD medication was due to manufacturing. Now, he said one aspect of the drug drought is due to demand.
He said more people are being diagnosed with ADHD, which is pushing the demand for the drugs that treat the condition.
"In this case, it's really hard to understand how much demand is out there so manufacturers can scale up production, but they don't really know how much to make," Ganio said.
In addition, the DEA and FDA are involved. He said companies can't simply make more of the drug. They have to go through the necessary channels and processes.
"When you're trying to figure out do I need to produce ten percent more, twenty percent more, thirty percent more it's really hard to capture that information and so there is this incremental increase in output and communication each step between the FDA, the DEA, and the manufacturers makes it harder for this shortage to recover," Ganio said.
Ganio is optimistic and is hoping to see a shift by summer with a stabilization in supplies.
He recommends, if possible, family members establish a relationship with their pharmacist. He said by doing so, a pharmacy may be more likely to work with someone who can help them with their supply of medications. Especially if they know the person is returning month after month.
As for McBride, she's holding on to the same hope not only for her daughter but for other families who are playing the waiting game with her.
ABC Action News contacted major pharmacies for a statement on how they're reacting to the shortages.
A representative with CVS Health released this statement:
"Thanks for reaching out to CVS Pharmacy. We’re aware of intermittent shortages of certain medications, including amphetamine and methylphenidate, and are working with suppliers to replenish supply as quickly as possible. Our pharmacy teams make every effort to ensure patients have access to the medications they need and, if possible, will work with patients and prescribers to identify potential alternatives. Specific to Adderall, for more information about this industry-wide issue, please refer to the FDA’s announcement FDA announcement."
