[Image courtesy of Patrick Mallahan III via the Creative Commons Attribution]
A central supplier of the drug in the U.S., Teva (NYSE:TEVA), says labor shortages related to packaging of the drug are partly to blame for the shortage. Novartis subsidiary Sandoz is also has experienced manufacturing shortages related to the drug.
During the pandemic, the federal government loosened rules calling for an in-person visit to obtain Adderall and generic equivalents. The government made it possible to prescribe the drug via telehealth.
An August pharmacists’ survey revealed that approximately 64% of U.S. pharmacies encountered difficulties obtaining adequate supplies of branded and generic Adderall.
A total of 79% of pharmacists reported that their business had been impacted by general supply chain disruptions.
Adderall shortages could resolve soon. Teva anticipates that its inventory of the drug should recover in the coming weeks. The company produces branded and generic versions of the drug.
Amneal Pharmaceuticals and Rhodes Pharmaceuticals LP also have had the drug on backorder.
Another factor constraining to the Adderall shortages are constraints from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Because Adderall is a Schedule II drug, manufacturers can only produce limited quantities of the drug set by the U.S. government.
Adderall can be habit forming. The prescription drug is among the most widely abused drugs in the U.S.
While the FDA doesn’t currently list a shortage of Adderall or the generic versions of the drug on its drug shortage website, the agency did note that the drug was in short supply from September 2019 through May 2022.
Bloomberg reported that CVS and Walgreens have struggled to obtain the drug for months.
In recent years, the U.S. has seen a growth in sales of counterfeit Adderall on the black market. Some of those counterfeit drugs are laced with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl
They need to get these medications to Pharmacies ASAP because millions are suffering tremendously and getting by day to day is exceptionally difficult and the suffering is immense.