Families with children who suffer Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) had been warning for more than a year of the persistent shortage of drugs to treat these conditions. There are patients, according to some affected people, who have not been treated for months because they cannot find their medication in any pharmacy. A few days ago, the Spanish Society of Pediatric Neurology (Senep) publicly expressed its concern about the lack of supply of methylphenidate, a drug used to combat ADHD, and alarm bells went off.
Now, the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aemps) confirms the problem “that may affect the continuity of patient treatments” and announces that the shortage will last “until the first quarter of 2025.”
«The Aemps has been aware that some presentations of medicines that contain methylphenidate as the active ingredient present supply problems that may affect the continuity of patients’ treatments. This group of medications are authorized for the treatment of ADHD as part of a treatment program. comprehensive treatment of this disease,” the Agency points out in a communication dated October 30.
It clarifies, however, that “the drugs mainly affected by these availability problems are prolonged-release tablets, while modified-release tablets and capsules have a yesstable supply».
The Agency attributes the shortage to several factors, “including capacity problems at manufacturing plants and a increase in global demand above forecasts. He attributes this to “a greater diagnosis” and warns that the problem “is exacerbated by problems in the supply of other medications for the treatment of ADHD.” “In addition, there are problems globally with the availability of the active ingredient methylphenidate and other materials for the manufacture of medications, which delays the manufacture of these drugs,” adds Aemps and advances that. According to the companies’ estimates, “these problems will be resolved during the first quarter of 2025.”
As long as this situation persists, and given the possibility that it is not possible to start or continue treatments with methylphenidate presentations extended release tabletsthe Aemps recommends that health professionals “initiate new treatments and refer existing ones to methylphenidate presentations without supply problems, as long as the patient’s clinical situation allows it under medical discretion.”
«At this time the different laboratories (authorization holders) are releasing units, but they are not enough to cover demand, so medicines containing methylphenidate as an active ingredient are being distributed in a controlled manner to guarantee equitable distribution. Exeltis Healthcare anticipates that between November and December it will be able to distribute additional units of Atenza EFG extended-release tablets to those initially planned and partially alleviate this situation,” Aemps states in its note.
Last October 28, the Spanish Federation of ADHD Associations (Feaadah) filed a complaint with the Ombudsman after reporting cases throughout Spain of shortages of these drugs.
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